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THE DRYGOODSMAN'S 

HANDY DICTIONARY 

40 40 40 

A BOOK of reference containing 
£ ^/JL definitions and explanations of 
upwards of 2,200 words, terms 
and expressions used in dry goods and 
general store work and connected indus- 
tries, to which is appended many useful 
tables and a defined list of shoe and leather 
trade terms. Intended for ready reference 
and constant use at counter and desk. 

40 40 40 

Compiled and gdited byl 

F. M. ADAMS 

of The Drygoodsman staS 

40 40 40 

Shoe and Leather Terms by 

J. H. BOLTON and CARL C. IRWIN 

of the staff of 
The Shoe #■ Leather Gazette 

40 40 40 

Published by 

THE DRYGOODSMAN 
ST. LOUIS 

1912 

COPYRIGHT 1912 BY THE TRADESMEN'S PUBLISHING CO 






i 

^CI,A312083 






# FOREWORD 



XN THE preparation of this work two main objects have been 
kept in view — to produce a simple dictionary that shall con- 
tain the words and terms with which dry goods and general 
store workers come in contact defined or explained as tersely 
as possible, and to bring it forth in durable form at a moderate price. 

No attempt has been made at introducing encyclopedic features be- 
cause such effort carried to a proper finish would make a book too great 
in size and too full of long explanations to be of so common service as 
this book is intended to be. The cost of such a work would eliminate 
from the list of purchasers that vast army of young people learning the 
business who have the greatest need for a dictionary. It is this class 
that especially needs a book that may be in the pocket or in the fixtures 
at a handy place at all times. These business people have no time to 
ponder over extended articles on preparation and manufacture, any more 
than has the man in the office who suddenly comes across a word or a 
term unfamiliar to him. ' It has been the endeavor to give herein the 
shortest possible definition, and if anyone wishes more complete infor- 
mation it is best to consult some of the numerous voluminous encyclo- 
pedias that are to be found in every public library or in the private 
libraries of some people in every town. 

, The editor remembers his desire, as a green clerk, to possess a dry 
goods dictionary but the price of the only one then in existence was 
higher than he could afford to pay. That fact has been a large incentive 
in the preparation of this work — to get it into the hands of every clerk 
in every store at a time when it is most needed. The cost is not pro- 
hibitive to any such who have the desire for information. 

Words and terms of most common use and familiarity are avoided, 
as, clerk, clothes, retail, wholesale, etc. 

Details in definition have been avoided excepting for words or terms 
where it has been necessary in order to distinguish kinds under the 
same head, as in carpets and dyeing. 



Private brands and proprietary words have also been avoided as 
not concerning particularly the goods themselves. 

Colors and shades of color have been omitted because everyone in 
the business should know the staples and it is not only impossible to 
describe a shade so it may be recognized but the constant changes of 
the seasons make it impossible and impracticable to describe all. 

This is not an unabridged work. Some words and terms are un- 
doubtedly omitted as well as localisms that should have a place herein. 
Anyone finding such omissions or discovering something new that 
should be written herein will confer a favor on the editor and publishers 
as well as on the trade by making it known so it may appear in future 
editions. 

It is suggested to the clerk that he keep his copy always at hand 
and if a customer asks for something unusual he consult this dictionary 
before he informs the customer he hasn't the goods or there is no such 
thing. It is suggested to the merchant that he keep his dictionary as 
ready for his hand as he does his pen or his receipt book. 

F. M. ADAMS. 

1912. 



THE DRYGOODSMAN'S 

HANDY DICTIONARY 



Abb. — Warp yarn. 

Abee. — A mixed fabric of cotton and 
wool made in Syria. 

Abolla. — An ancient loose cloak of wool, 
fastened at the neck. 

Accordion Pleating. — Any fabric arranged 
Into fine, narrow pleats over its entire 
surface, permanently pressed and hav- 
ing the appearance of an accordion bel- 
lows — hence the name. 

Afghan. — A soft blanket made of knitted 
or crocheted woolen yarns, in fancy 
colors, and used as a couch cover or 
carriage robe. 

Agave (a-gah've). — Fleshy leaved plants, 
of which the century plant is a type, 
found chiefly in tropical America. The 
woody fiber of the leaves is sometimes 
made into thread and ropes and used 
in the manufacture of paper. Used 
similarly to Sisal Hemp. See Istle. 

Aglet. — A round white stay-lace used in 
drapery. An ornamental pendant or 
spangle. 

Agraffe (a-graf). — A clasp or ornament 
of metal for millinery purposes. 

Agra Gauze. — A thin, diaphanous silk 
fabric used for trimming and in mil- 
linery. 

Aigrette or Aigret (a-gref). — A stiff 
plume. Sometimes also applied to 
"egret", which see. 

Alguilette (a-gwil-Ief). — An ornamental 
tag or decoration worn by military of- 
ficers on the right shoulder and breast. 

Ajour (ah-zhoor). — An openwork or 
translucent effect. 

Alamode (ah-lah-mode')- — A highly fin- 
ished thin silk formerly used in the 
making of hoods; now used in mil- 
linery and neckwear. 

Alb. — A richly trimmed long linen vest- 
ment worn by priests. A garment 
worn by newly baptized. 

Albatross. — A plain-faced wool dress 
goods, very soft and fine. Sometimes 
also called Vicuna and Snowflake. 

Albert Cloth. — A heavy wool goods of 



double face, perfectly finished, having 
different designs and colors on each 
face. Of the same character as Golf 
Cloth. 

Alpaca. — A very smooth, giossy dress 
goods, sometimes plain and sometimes 
loom-figured, made of cotton warp and 
a filling spun from the fine wool of the 
Alpaca sheep, or cameloid, which lives 
in the mountains of South America; 
also an imitation made with mohair or 
sheep's wool in place of alpaca wool. 

Allover. — Embroideries and lace materials 
in which the design or pattern extends 
over the entire surface of the fabric. 

Alpine. — A soft-crown, shaped-brim hat 
worn by men. A dress goods of silk 
warp and wool filling woven with a 
double twill. 

Altar Cloth. — Strips of silk or linen with 
embroidered ends, used for spreading 
across a church altar on certain oc- 
casions. 

Aman. — A blue cotton cloth made in 
eastern Mediterranean countries. 

Amana Goods. — Name used to designate 
fabrics and yarns manufactured by the 
Amana Community, Amana, Iowa. 

Amazone Cloth. — A wide woolen dress 
fabric, similar to ladies' cloth. 

American Cloth. — A term applied in 
England to the glazed cotton cloth 
known in the United States as Enam- 
eled Cloth and used in upholstery. 

Andalusian Wool. — A soft, tightly twist- 
ed worsted yarn. 

Angola Cloth. — A stout cotton fabrie 
woven with uneven surface and used in 
fancy work. 

Angora Wool or Mohair. — The hair or 
wool of the Angora goat, a native of 
Asia Minor, used in making mohair, 
brilliantine and Sicilian. 
Angora Cashmere.— A fine light dress 
goods of twilled weave, similar to cam- 
el's hair. 

Aniline. — A product of the distillation of 
coal tar, which will produce dyes 
through the action of various chemi- 
cals. 



G 



THE DRTGOODSMAN'S HANDY DICTIONARY. 



Antlmacasser (an'ti-ma-kas'er). — A cov- 
ering made for the backs and arms of 
chairs and other furniture to protect 
the upholstering. An English term, 
same as American Tidy. 

Alsatian Bow.— A term used in millin- 
ery to describe a large flat bow, the 
loops and ends of even lengths on each 
side. 

Amice (am'is). — An ecclesiastical head- 
dress. 

Antique (an-teek'). — A pattern, design, 
or finish, that is intended to imitate 
the products of ancient times. 

Appenzell (ap'pents-el') Embroidery.— 
Named after and made in a small can- 
ton in Switzerland. Very fine hand 
embroidery, the buttonhole and blind 
patterns mostly used. 

Applique (ap-pli-kay'). — Materials cut 
out and sewed, embroidered or pasted 
on other materials. 

Apron. — An easily detachable article of 
apparel made in various styles and 
used for covering the front of the dress 
more or less completely. 

Arabesque (ar-a-besk').— A fanciful or- 
namentation, copied from Arabian dec- 
orations, consisting of figures, lines, 
animals and sometimes human beings 
combined in relief. Pure arabesque has 
no representations of living beings, be- 
cause forbidden by the Koran. 

Areophane (ar-o-fane').— An extremely 
thin variety of silk crepe. 

Armozlne (ar-mo-zeen'). — A plain silk, 
formerly used for clerical robes and for 
dresses two centuries ago. A taffeta. 

Armure (ar'mewr). — A chain weave in 
which the threads are thrown in alter- 
nating small pebbled design. Used in 
silks and dress goods. 

Arras. — A tapestry woven with colored 
figures or scenes and used for curtains 
or for wall hangings. 

Arrasene. — A chenille-like cord of silk 
or wool used in making raised em- 
broidery. 

Art Embroidery.— Needle work done in 
colored silk upon linen or other ma- 
terial. 

Art Fabric. — Material used for decora- 
tive purposes. 

Art Square. — See Carpet terms. 

Asbestos. — A whitish fibrous mineral, 
easily separable and of flax-like ap- 
pearance. It is compressed into 
sheets or cloth and twisted into soft 



ropes used for packing and to prevent 
radiation of heat. 

Ascot — Tie. — A combination of a neck- 
band and a broad flat tie for women. 
Collar is in stock form; tie is made in 
two parts, one of which overlaps the 
other. 

Astrakhan. — The pelts from young lambs 
reared in the mountainous districts of 
Astrakhan, Russia. The name given to 
a heavy fabric made of cotton base and 
a surface of mohair woven in imitation 
of the curled hair of the Astrakhan 
sheep. 

Atlas — A cotton and silk fabric finished 
with a gloss on one side and inter- 
laced with satin weaves. Much used 
for linings. 

Aubusson (aw-bus-son'). — A tapestry 
made for wall hangings and upholstery, 
in Aubusson, France. 

Aune (own).— The French ell of 1% 
yards, formerly in common use through- 
out many European countries, but now 
displaced by the meter. Foreign silks 
are usually folded in aune lengths, giv- 
ing rise to the custom of iy t yard folds 
in domestic silks. 

B. 

Backed Cloth.— A class of worsted fab- 
rics for men's wear, woven with an ex- 
tra layer of warp or filling to add 
weight and warmth. 

Baize (bayz). — A woolen fabric former- 
ly finished with a short, close nap, 
dyed in plain colors and used for dress 
goods; at present very closely woven 
and used for upholstery. 
Balbriggan. — Cotton underwear and ho- 
siery of selected brown or unbleached 
fiber, originally made in Balbriggan, 
Ireland. 

Baleen (bah-leen').— The horny plates 
from the head of a whale before manu- 
facture into "whalebone". Raw whale- 
bone. 

Balloon- Net.— A lace net in which the 
peculiar twist of warp and filling 
threads produces an appearance like the 
net which confines the gasbag of a bal- 
loon. 

Ballymena (bal'ly-me'na).— Certain linen 
goods produced at Ballymena, Ireland. 

Balmoral (bal-mo'ral).— Heavy dress ma- 
terials of extraordinary durability. A 
cheap petticoat of cotton goods. A 
peculiar skirt, or tartan, worn by 



THE DRYGOODSMAN'S HANDY DICTIONARY. 



Scotch. A boot lacing up in front (see 
Shoe Terms in Appendix). A Scotch 
cap. Named from Balmoral Scotland. 

Bandanna. — Originally a large, bright- 
colored silk handkerchief manufactured 
in India, in which the figures were 
formed by tying knots in the cloth or 
by pressure during dyeing. The com- 
mon cotton bandanna is decorated by 
a process of bleaching out the color to 
form the figures. 

Bandeau (ban-do'). — A band or part of 
a band placed in the headsize of a hat 
to raise part or the whole of it. Also 
an ornament for the hair. Same as 
fillet. 

Banding. — Term applied to lace, em- 
broidery and trimming which is shown 
in band form. Is usually finished at the 
edges. 

Barege (ba-rayzh'). — A fabric of silk or 
cotton warp and soft wool fillinsr, used 
as a heavy veiling or somtimes as a 
liirht dress goods. Originally made in 
Bareges, French Pyrenees. 

Barracan (bar'a-kan). — A thick, strong, 
water-proof material of wool, or wool 
combined with silk or cotton, and used 
for men's clothing; originally made of 
camel's hair. Also a camlet made in 
France. (See Camlet.) 

Barras. — A coarse linen fabric from Hol- 
land. 

Barre (bah-ray'). — Any pattern pro- 
duced by stripes or bars extending 
crosswise of the goods. 

Barred Muslin. — See Nainsook. 

Barrette (bar-ref). — Originally designat- 
ing a small head covering, as a cap 
or bonnet, now used for a hair orna- 
ment which holds the back hair in 
place. 

Barrow. — A sleeveless garment for In- 
fants; a pinning blanket. Also writ- 
ten Barrow Coat. 

Basket Cloth. — Any cloth with a pat- 
tern made in imitation of the peculiar 
appearance of baskets. 

Basket Weave. — Style of weave in which 
the plaited work of a basket is repro- 
duced in the pattern. 

Basque (bask). — A short-skirted jacket 
or dress waist. 

Basquine (bas-keen'). — A style of skirt 
or petticoat worn by Basque women 
and some Spanish women. 

Bath Robe. — A loose-fitting garment ex- 
tending from the shoulders to the floor; 



worn for protection on emerging from 
the bath. 

Batiste (ba-teesf). — Originally a fine all 
linen lawn, plain or printed. At present 
the name is applied to a fine cotton. 

Batting. — Raw cotton or wool laid in 
light matted sheets and marketed in 
rolls. 

Baudekin (baw'de-kin). — A rich em- 
broidered or brocaded silk fabric of the 
middle ages woven originally at Bag- 
dad with a warp of gold threads and 
silk filling. 

Bayadere (bah-yad-air'). — P a 1 1 e r n of 
plain or figured stripes that run across 
the fabric; usually the colors of the 
stripes contrast with those adjoining. 
The opposite of Pekin. 

Bayal. — A variety of fine cotton. 

Bayeta (bah-ya'lah). — A coarse woolen 
Spanish cloth of the character of baize. 

Beads. — Small perforated ornaments 
made to be strung on threads and worn 
as jewelry and trimming. 

Beading. — A lace or embroidery inser- 
tion made with a row of holes to run 
ribbon through. 

Bearing Cloth. — The cloth covering of a 
child when borne to its baptism. Christ- 
ening Cloth. 

Beaver Fur. — (See Fur.) 

Beaver. — A heavy thick woolen cloth 
similar to doeskin; the wrong side is 
finished with a soft thick nap. Used 
for overcoats and cloaks. A hat of 
beaver fur or an imitation. 

Beaverteen. — A heavy cloth of twilled 
weave with an uncut looped face. Used 
for clothing requiring rough wear. A 
cotton fustian. 

Bedford Cord. — A weave used in dress 
goods similar to cotton pique, consist- 
ing of heavy ribs running lengthwise in 
the fabric. Used in both woolen and 
cotton goods. 

Bed Pocket. — A small bag hung in a 
handy place on the bed, which may be 
used as a receptacle for articles needed 
during the night. 

Beetling. — Finishing cloth by beating with 
a beetle as it passes over a roller. 

Beige (bayzh). — Dress fabrics of smooth 
texture produced by using yarn in 
which the colors are mixed. Originally 
of undyed, unbleached wool. 

Belt. — A flat strip or band of any flex- 
ible material girding the waist as an 
ornament or to support or hold gar- 
ments. A girdle. 



THE DRTGOODSMAN'S HANDY DICTIONARY. 



Bengallne (ben-gal-ene'). — A smooth, 
plain, round, corded weave of silk and 
wool, in which the wool i s covered by 
the silk. Imitations have silk or cot- 
ton substituted for the wool. 

Berlin Wool. — A fine woolen yarn used 
for fancy work. 

Benjy.— A straw hat with low crown and 
broad brim; also a waistcoat. 

Beurre (bur- ray'). —The light yellowish 
tint, especially in laces, a little deeper 
than cream. Named from a French 
pear. 

Bib.— A small shaped napkin worn by 
children while eating. 

Bicycle Stockings.— See Knit Goods 
Terms. 

Binding.— A folded or doubled strip of 
material used to cover the raw edges 
of fabric or leather, for strengthening, 
for finishing, or to prevent fraying or 
raveling. 

Bird's-eye — A linen or cotton fabric 
woven in small pattern that is sup- 
posed to resemble a bird's eye; used 
for fancy work, towels and infants' 
wear. Also written birdseye. 
Biretta — A headdress of skull cap char- 
acter for men, and made in varying 
shapes for different professions. 
Biretz — A reversible dress fabric of wool. 
or silk and wool, twilled on one side 
and ribbed, or corded, on the other. 
Bishop.— Term usually applied to a style 
of sleeve for women; also a child's 
dress. Sleeve is full at the wrist and 
held in place by band or cuff. Dress is 
cut straight from the neck like a Bish- 
op's robe. A bustle. A child's bib. 
Blanket — A heavy piece of wide cloth, 
woven of wool, or cotton, or of cotton 
and wool, of soft texture and brushed 
on both sides. Used principally as a 
bed covering, but is a term of general 
application for protective coverings. 
Blazer.— A light-weight coat of flannel 
or silk worn by both men and women. 
Name originated from a scarlet sport- 
ing jacket. 

Bleaching — The process of whitening 
textile fibers and fabrics by use of 
chemical baths or exposure to sun and 
weather. 

Blind Design.— A term used in embroid- 
ery to describe a design which is 
worked solid and where the cloth un- 
derneath is not cut. 

Blonde Lace.— See Lace Terms. 



Bloomers. — Loose, baggy trousers worn 
by women and children. Originally an 
entire costume. Introduced in 1850 by 
Mrs. Bloomer, of Waterloo, N. Y. 

Blouse.— A loosely fitting waist for either 
sex, usually worn belted or shirred at 
the waist line. The English shirtwaist. 

Boa. — A long wrap for the neck, made 
of fur or other warm and protective 
materials, deriving its name from its 
snake -like appearance. 
Bobbinet — A cotton net of threads par- 
tially twisting around each other, so 
as to produce hexagonal meshes. Lev- 
er's Lace. (See Laces.) 
Bocasin.— A silk-finished fine linen. An 
Eastern Mediterranean cotton fabric. A 
variety of calamanco. A fine buckram. 
Written also Bocasine. 

Booking. — A coarse woolen cloth of drug- 
get weave originally made in the town 
of Bocking, Essex county, England. 

Bodice.— Any tightly-fitted waist. An 
ornamental outer waist laced like a 
corset. An old style of corset with lac- 
ing in front. 

Bodkin.— A needle with a large eye and 
a blunt point used for drawing tape 
through a hem; an instrument with a 
sharp point used for piercing holes in 
cloth, to be made into eyelets or for 
fancy work; a long pin for holding the 
hair. 

Bokhara — A diaphanous silk of natural 
color in which a weave of taffeta is 
produced. 

Bolero (bo-lay'ro).— A small, short jack- 
et of Spanish origin, with or without 
sleeves, plain or ornamented, loose at 
the waist line and not reaching below 
that point. 

Bolivar (bol'i-var).— A light, fine French 
flannel, usually gray. 

Bolster. — A long sub-pillow reaching 
across the bed, stuffed with feathers, 
hair or other soft material. Sometimes 
made ornamental and placed on top of 
the made-up bed. 

Bolt. — A complete piece of rolled, or 
folded fabric; applied to piece goods, 
ribbons, laces, etc. 

Bolting Cloth — A strong fine cloth of 
linen or unsized silk, usually the latter, 
used in flouring mills for separating 
the product; also a light silk cloth used 
for fancy work. 

Bombast.— Soft, loose stuff used for pad- 
ding. 



THE DRYGOODSMAN'S HANDY DICTIONARY. 



Bombazine (bom-ba-zeen'). — A fine twill- 
ed fabric of silk warp and wool filling, 
having a heavy sheen. Formerly made 
only in black and used as a mourning 
fabric. 

Bootee (boo-tee'). — A crocheted or knit- 
ted shoe for infants. 

Book Muslin. — A material similar to 
crinoline used in book making and some- 
times in dressmaking. A 1 sheer muslin 
put up in bookfold. 

Bookfold. — The style of folding certain 
tine cloths by doubling once length- 
wise and twice crosswise and market- 
ing in fixed lengths of multiples of 
12 yards. 

Bookbinders' Cloth. — A sized colored cot- 
ton cloth, used for binding some grades 
of books. 

Botany Yarn. — Yarn made from fine 
Australian wool and used in making 
worsted dress goods. 

Boucle (boo-clay'). — Cloth with loops or 
curls appearing irregularly in the sur- 
face. 

Bourette (bur-ret')- — An effect in weav- 
ing which throws fancy yarns into 
knobs or knots that form designs or 
appear at regular intervals. 

Bouillonne (boo-yon-nay'). — The general 
effect of shirred or frilled trimmings on 
a garme t, or the shirred chiffon edg- 
ings of ruffles or plaitings. 

Bournous (bur-noos' or bur'noos). — A 
long cloak with a hood, worn by Arabs 
and Moors. A loose sleeveless cloak 
with a hood worn by women in Europe 
and America. 

Box Cloth. — A beaver cloth of extra 
quality. 

Box Coat. — A heavy greatcoat with a 
cape worn by coachmen and coach 
travelers. An unfitted coat hanging 
loosely from the shoulders. 

Box Plait. — A double fold or plait formed 
by folding the cloth alternately in op- 
posite directions so as to form a kind 
of plait from each side. 

Braces. — See Suspender. 

Braid. — A woven or braided flat band, or 
strip, of any fiber. Used as a trim- 
ming or binding. 

Brandenburgs. — Oblong buttons thickest 
at the middle, made of a mold covered 
with thread and usually attached to a 
braided ornament, designed to button 
into opposite loops. Frogs. 



Brassiere (bras- se'er). — French term for 
brace, now applied to a tight, stayed 
under-bodlce for women. 
Breadth.— A single length of textile. A 
width of goods composing a garment, 
as in a skirt. 

Breakfast Shawl.— A small woolen shawl, 
usually knitted or crocheted. 
Breeches. — A man's garment reaching 
from the waist to the knees, or a little 
below, and made to cover each leg sep- 
arately. Trousers and pantaloons are 
not breeches. 

Bretelles (bray-tells').— The French name 
for braces or suspenders. Also shoul- 
der trimming for women's dresses. 
Bride. — A loop, or tie, of thread, made 
in lace or needlework, to bind portions 
together. A bonnet string. 
Broadcloth.— A high grade woolen or 
worsted cloth, woven with a twill, fulled, 
slightly napped and glossed in the fin- 
ishing. Medium and light weights used 
for clothing; hefvy weights used for 
carriage and other upholstery. Name 
erroneously applied to many cloths 50 
to GO inches wide. Best broadcloths are 
usually marketed folded and wrapped 
in tillots. 

Broad Lace.— See Lace Terms. 
Brocade.— Any fabric in which the pat- 
tern is made to appear in relief, pro- 
duced by manipulation of the threads in 
the loom. First made in Europe in 
1757. Previously brought from the 
Orient, where it was decorated with 
gold and silver threads. 
Brocatel (brock'a-tel).— A, coarse bro- 
cade, woven of silk, cotton, wool or 
unions of those fibers. Used principally 
in upholstery. 
Broche (bro-shay'). — A French word ap- 
plied to goods containing a raised fig- 
ure or design, usually in imitation of 
stitching or embroidery. Applied to 
shawls popular in the last century. 
Brode (bro-day'). — Embroidered effects 
or an ornamental edge or border. 
Brunswick. — A once fashionable coat for 
women, of mannish style, with wide 
cuffs, collar and lapels. 
Brush Binding. — A binding with a braid 
back and a brush-like edge of loose 
mohair or coarse wool used for the bot- 
tom of skirts as a protector. 
Buckle. — A device formed of a frame 
which holds hinged teeth, or catches, 
used to fasten bands or Btrips together. 



10 



THE DRYGOODSMAN'S HANDY DICTIONARY. 



In ornamental designs used for millinery 
and dress trimming and shoe decora- 
tions. 

Buckram. — Coarse, plain-woven linen or 
cotton cloth, heavily sized, for use as a 
stiffening in garment making. 

Buckskin. — A twilled cloth of the nature 
of doeskin, but somewhat heavier, 
named from fancied resemblance in 
toughness to real deerhide 

Bugle. — A tubular glass bead, usually 
black, used for dress ornaments in pas- 
sementerie and fringes. 

Bulgarian. — Term applied to embroidery 
that was originally made in .Bulgaria. 
The embroidery is done on a coarse 
foundation and the simple cross stitch 
is used. Blue, red and yellow are the 
predominating colors. 

Bullion Fringe. — A heavy, twisted cord 
fringe, having intermixed fine gold or 
silver threads. Much used for orna- 
menting military garments and for trim- 
mings flags, banners and regalias. 

Bunting.— A soft light, plain cloth, white 
and also dyed in solid colors, made in 
various widths. Silk bunting and wool 
bunting used for flags and dresses. In 
cotton used as a substitute and for 
many other purposes, and known also 
as Cheese Cloth. 

Burgee (.bur-gee')- — A long, narrow flag 
or pennant ending in a swallow-tail. 

Burlap. — A strong, coarse stuff made of 
jute, flax, hemp, or manila, used for 
merchandise wrappings, in upholstery 
and for floor coverings; the finer grades 
used for decorative purposes. 

Burnoose. — Same as Bournous. 

Busk. — A thin, elastic stiffening strip of 
any material, placed in corsets and gar- 
ments of like character to stiffen the 
front of them. Applied also to the gar- 
ment. 

Buster Brown. — Term applied to a style 
in children's and women's dress, which 
is copied after the dress worn by Bus- 
ter Brown of cartoon fame. A belt 
below waistline, flat, stiff collar and 
side fastenings are the characteristics 
of this fashion. 

Bustle (bus'sel). — A light cushion or pad 
of various construction worn by women 
to distend the skirts at the rear top. 

Butchers' Linen. — A plain, stout, coarse- 
threaded linen, from 30 to 40 inches 
wide, bleached and brown, finished 
smooth, used largely for fancy work. 



and also for butchers' aprons, whence 
the name. 

Butter Cloth. — A light, open muslin, once 
used to wrap rolls of butter, hence the 
name. Same as "cheese cloth". 

Butternut. — A coarse, brown cloth used 
for men's clothing; so-called from the 
color produced by the yellowish -brown 
dye from butternut bark and leaves. 

Button. — A knob or disk of hard ma- 
terial a*tached by means of perfora- 
tions to one edge of a garment in such 
a position as to be passed through a 
buttonhole on the opposite edge. Also 
used as ornaments. 

Byron Collar. — A sailor collar after the 
style of those familiar in pictures of 
Lord Byron. 

Byssus (bis'sus). — A fine yellowish flax 
of ancient times, and the linen cloth 
made from it. The "fine linen" of the 
Bible. Any costly white fabric. 



C. 



Cabas (cab'ah). — A woman's work bag 
or any small satchel. 

Cabaya (cah-bah'yah). — A light cotton 
coat worn in the East Indies. 

Cabochon (cab-o-shon'). — A round buckle 
or brooch. A carbuncle-shaped stone 
cut but not polished. 

Cachemire (cash'meer). — In weaving, a 
name given to designs resembling Per- 
sian patterns. 

Cachepeigne (cash-pane'). — Literally the 
"hide comb". Any trimming on a hat 
that fulfills this purpose, but more cor- 
rectly the trimming should be placed 
beneath the back brim. 

Caddis. — A coarse serge; a narrow 
worsted tape, or ribbon. 

Caffa. — A rich silk of the 16th century; 
an East Indian figured cotton goods. 

Caftan. — An undercoat with long sleeves, 
bound with a sash or girdle. 

Calamanco. — A glossy woolen fabric, 
twilled or plain, sometimes warp-dyed, 
so as to show stripes or checks on one 
side when woven. A garment made of 
calamanco. A glazed linen. 

Calash. — A woman's hood of silk, made 
over a hoop-like framework, formerly 
much worn. 

Calendering. — The smoothing and glaz- 
ing of linen or cotton cloth by passing 
between rollers that are usually heated. 

Calico. — In America, a cotton cloth with 



THE DRYGOODSMAN'S HANDY DICTIONARY. 



11 



a figure printed on one side — a print; 
in England, any white cotton cloth, as 
ordinary American "muslin". 

Cambraslne (cam-bra-zeen')- — A fine lin- 
en, cambric or batiste. 

Cambric. — Properly a fine, plain-woven 
linen, made in Cambray, France, but 
now the name is applied to any fine, 
thin, calendered muslin, and to a 
glazed cotton goods used for linings. 

Camellne (cam'e-leen). — A medieval 
twilled fabric originally made of cam- 
els' hair, but imitated in cheaper ma- 
terials. Also the garment made of the 
cloth. 

Camel's Hair. — A loosely woven woolen 
fabric in which a very long fiber is em- 
ployed. It is composed of the finest 
worsted. 

Camlet (cam'let). — A strong, tight, near- 
ly water-proof cloth of camels' hair or 
imitation, employed chiefly in the manu- 
facture of women's cloaks and wraps. 

Caniche (can-eesh). — An arrangement of 
hair so placed as to conceal a comb. 

Canille (can-neel')- — A style of weave in 
which an imitation is attempted of the 
regular joints in a bamboo or cane 
stalk. 

Cannequin (can-e-kin'). — An East Indian 
white cotton cloth. 

Cannele. — A channel effect in weaving, 
giving lengthwise stripes in raised or 
lowered effect on the goods in small 
patterns. A striped taffeta silk. 

Canopy. — A suspended covering, orna- 
mental or useful, as an altar canopy, 
or an awning, or a bed canopy. 

Canotier (can-o-te-yay'). — Dress fabrics 
suitable for canoeing or sailing wear, 
hence the name. Sailor style in cloth 
or hat. 

Canton Flannel.— Stout twilled cotton 
cloth brushed to a heavy nap on one 
side; finished in bleached and natural 
and dyed and printed in colors. Used in 
white and natural for underwear, in 
colored for upholstery. Same as Cot- 
ton Flannel. 

Canvas — A heavy, strong cloth of linen, 
hemp, or cotton, for sails, tents and 
coverings. A cloth of linen, cotton, 
or silk, of various weaves and finishes, 
used for fancy work. 

CANVAS TERMS. 

Aida C. (ah-ee-dah). — Plain linen some- 
what resembling Java and Connaught in 
thread and weave. 



Congress C. — Thin and somewhat open, 
woven with a hard cotton thread. 

Connaught C. — A cotton canvas similar 
in weave to Java. 

Honeycomb C. — White cotton, imitating 
the regular cells of honeycomb. 

Ida C. — Loose and open, of unbleached 
linen yarns. 

Java C. — Woven of cotton, linen and 
wool in double yarn, includes also a 
plain worsted, the warp and weft each 
being formed of two yarns laid together 
in the loom. 

Mummy C— Woven and dyed in imita- 
tion of ancient mummy cloth. 

Panama C. — Woven and dyed in imita- 
tion of plaited Panama straw. 

Penelope (pe-nel'o-pe) C. — Net-like in 
weave, stiffened by sizing. 

Plain Worsted C — A variety woven of 
thick worsted threads in the ordinary 
manner, both threads being used dou- 
ble. 

Railroad or Net C— A stiff linen or cot- 
ton with coarse, open mesh. 

Silk C. — Is woven of coarse silk threads; 
used mainly for embroidery work. 



Cape. — A circular, sleeveless, outer gar- 
ment of various lengths, hanging from 
the shoulders. 

Capote (ca-poht'). — A hooded cloak worn 
by soldiers and sailors; a long, loose 
mantle. 

Cardigan Jacket. — A protective jacket of 
knitted or crocheted woolen or cotton 
yarn, close-fitting and buttoned in 
front. Practically the predecessor of 
the "sweater". 

Carding The preparation of textile fib- 
ers by combing and cleansing before 
drawing into yarns. 

Carpet. — A floor covering made of heavy 
yarns of cotton, wool, hemp, or other 
fiber, usually woven in patterns or de- 
signs. Marketed in long strips made in- 
to rolls, it is known as carpet; complete 
designs for a single floor are usually 
termed rugs. 

CARPET TERMS. 

Aristo C. — Practically the same as the 
American moquette. 

Art Square. — A large ingrain rug; some- 
times called drugget. 

Aubusson C— A one-piece carpet of ex- 
pensive manufacture, woven in embroid- 
ery designs after intricate Oriental pat- 



12 



THE DRYGOODSMAN'S HANDY DICTIONARY. 



terns, of which it is largely an imita- 
tion. The cost prohibits general use. 

Axminster C. — Properly a very rich, 
closely-woven, heavy pile fabric of great 
durability and beautiful colorings, but 
the word is ordinarily used to desig- 
nate a carpet made similarly to mo- 
quette but of heavier quality. Named 
from Axminster, England. 

Bath Rug. — A rug of woven fabric or 
other construction intended for the bath- 
room floor. 

Brussels C. — The corrugated surface of 
brussels is produced by high-grade 
worsted yarns woven over wires that 
form loops standing closely together, 
running transversely on the piece. The 
worsted, when riot required on the sur- 
face to form the pattern is worked into 
the back of the fabric as other colors 
are brought up into the design. The 
back is composed of heavy jute and 
hemp threads which make weight and 
stiffness. Brussels is made in four, five 
and six-frame, indicating the weight 
and closeness of the fabric, according to 
the number of separate colored yarns 
used in making the pattern. 

Chenille C. — Same as Patent Axminster. 

Cork C. — See Kamptulicon, under gen- 
eral definitions. 

Drugget. — See general definitions. Some- 
times applied to Art Square. 

Felt C. — A fabric not woven but com- 
pressed or matted by the frlting pro- 
cess. Rarely, a carpet made of strips 
of felt sewed together so as to present 
the edges for a wearing surface. 

Fiber C. — A light material of patented 
texture, compose I of yarn warp and a 
twisted fiber filling. 

Filling. — Any carpet of solid color used 
outside of rug or in other places re- 
quired to be covered or "filled". Some- 
times called Terry. 

Hemp C. — Woven like ingrain out of 
hemp or jute fiber. 

Ingrain C. — May be of cotton or wool 
warp with a cotton or wool filling, 
woven a yard wide. The loom is made 
to carry two or three separate webs, 
i. e., separate, or distinct, warps and 
fi'lings, which are intermingled to pro- 
duce the patterns, thus showing one 
color in the figure on one side and an- 
other color on the other side. When 
woven with two webs It is two-ply, 
when woven with three webs it is three 
ply — one ply being between the out- 



side colors — permitting of a more elab- 
orate pattern and producing ;. very 
heavy fabr'c. Ingrr.in is a word used 
to signify dyed in the grain, or yarn, 
before weaving. Kidderminster is the 
English namo for ingrains, because 
manufactured principally at Kidder- 
minster, England. A hundred years 
ago they were known as Scots, because 
made in Scotland. Super is a word 
used in descriptions of ingrain carpets. 
A plain Super has 960 ends of warp 
threads to the yard width and 12 pairs of 
filling threads to the inch. Extra Super 
has 1,080 ends of warp threads to the 
yard width and 13^ pairs of filling 
threads to the inch. The cheaper 
grades have less threads and less 
body. Half wool is cotton warp and 
wool filling seldom heavier than Super. 
Union is of mixed cotton and wool, 
sometimes cotton warp and wool filling 
but usually of heavy quality with cot- 
ton warp and part cotton filling made in 
Extra Super count. The lower grade 
Unions and cottons are of uncertain 
quality and have no standard of com- 
position. 

Knitted C. — Made from strips of cloth 
knitted on wooden needles into nar- 
row breadths which are sewed together 
to show a mixed surface or a striped 
design. 

List C. — Similar to Rag. The filling is 
list or other strips of waste cloth; the 
warp is the common cotton warp of 
the rag carpet. 

Moquette C. — A coarse-back fabric with 
a deep tufted pile surface woven by a 
loom in which the surface yarns are 
fixed and cut one row at a time without 
the wires of the brussels and velvet 
looms. The possibilities of pattern and 
color effects are very great. It is dis- 
tinctly an American product. 

Paper C. — Compressed from a paper pulp 
composition produced by submitting the 
pulp to chemical action; has something 
of the appearance of Linoleum. 

Patent Axminster. — Has a heavy filling of 
especially prepared long strips of 
chenille which are woven into a strong 
back of linen or hemp. Called also 
Chenille C. 

Pick. — Designates fineness by reference 
to the number of tufts or threads to the 
inch. 

Rag C. — Composed of heavy cotton warp, 
plain or colored, and a filling of rags 
torn in narrow strips and sewed or tied 



THE DRYGOODSMAN'S HANDY DICTIONARY. 



13 



together, usually ingrain ayed and ar- 
ranged to produce a pattern of stripes. 
Formerly made entirely on hand looms 
but now produced on power looms. 

Savonnerie C. — Properly an expensive silk 
carpet woven in a single piece, pro- 
duced in Savonnerie, France, but also 
used to designate a very fine quality of 
American goods made similarly to 
Moquette and Axminster. 

Tapestry C. — Has a solid backing or 
foundation of jute and hemp and a 
face of worsted yarn woven in loops 
over wires in a manner similar to Brus- 
sels. These yarns are printed in the 
colors which form the pattern on great 
drums before weaving in distinction 
from Brussels which is dyed solid in 
the yarn. The printing is in blotches 
of color which form the pattern after 
weaving, which is similar to Brussels 
excepting that the surface, or worsted, 
yarns do not run through the back. 
Quality is determined by the weight of 
the back and the number of wires used 
to the inch in weaving. 

Terry. — Plain. solid-color carpeting. 

Same as Filling. 

Velvet C. — A tapestry the loops of which 
have been cut similarly to Wilton. The 
better grades are capable of very rich 
pattern effects and are often sold for 
genuine Wilton. 

Venetian C. — The original Venetian was 
made of a worsted warp in colors and a 
filling of hemp or jute nearly always 
dyed black. The weaving concealed the 
warp and left a surface of stripes. 
When the filling was dyed in colors the 
pattern showed an indistinct check or 
plaid. The present Venetian is all cot- 
ton and but little used. 

Wilton C. — Woven in the same manner 
as Brussels, with the addition that the 
loops are cut by knife ends, or edges. 
or similar devices on the wires when 
they are withdrawn, forming a heavy 
pile surface, which is afterwards fin- 
ished. First made in Wilton, England. 



Carpet Binding. — A heavy tape, woven 
in colors and used for binding. 

Carpet Lining. — Any material laid on the 
floor beneath a carpet for protection or 
softening the tread; usually cotton or 
pther soft fiber quilted between yard- 
wide strips of paper, or a thick grade 
of corrugated building paper or felt. 

Carpet Thread. — A heavy, strong linen 
or cotton thread, put up in hanks and 



on spools, used principally for sewing 
together strips of carpet. 

Carpet Warp. — A strong cotton yarn, or 
cord, used for the warp of rag carpets. 

Carreau (kar-ro'). — A design consisting 
of a small square, check or diamond. 

Cashmere. — A fine, twilled, soft-finisn 
dress goods, usually dyed in plain col- 
ors but sometimes printed; it may be 
of all wool, silk and wool, or cotton and 
wool. 

Cashmere Chevron. — See Cote de Cheval. 

Cashmere Shawl. — An expensive shawl 
made from the soft, fine hair of the 
Cashmere goat cl India, woven in figures 
or embroidered Name now applied to 
shawls made from cloths woven with 
the cashmere twill for the- special pur- 
pose. 

Cassimere (kaz'i-mer). — Applied to "wool- 
en cloths for men's wear comprising a 
great variety of weaves and color ef- 
fects. 

Cassinette (kaz-i-nef). — A cloth made of 
wool or mixed wool, coUon. or silk, 
usually cotton and wool, with a diag- 
onal twill. Used for clothing. Kersey- 
nette. 

Cassock (cas'sock). — Any long cloak of 
military style worn by men; also a plain 
close garment reaching to the feet, 
worn under the vestments by the clergy 
in ceremonials. 

Castor. — The American beaver. Any 
shade of color near that of the gray of 
beaver fur is called beaver, or castor; 
as castor glove, castor hat, castor 
dress goods. 

Celluloid (cell'u-loyd'). — A chemical com- 
position made by compressing gun coc- 
ton with camphor and other substances 
by hydraulic pressure, made to imitate 
ivory, tortoise shell, coral, amber, glass, 
etc. 

Challie (shal'ly). — A light-weight dress 
fabric of cotton or wool, sometimes 
mixed with silk, woven without twill 
and free from dressing. In plain col- 
ors and printed patterns. Also known 
as Challis, Challi and Shalli. 

Chambray (sham'bray). — See under 
Ginghams. 

Changeant (change'ant). — Changeable ef- 
fects produced by crossing two colors 
in the same fabric; as red warp and 
blue filling. 

Chaparejos (shap-ar-ay'hos). — Leather 

breeches worn by cowboys. Commonly 
abbreviated to shaps. 



14 



THE DRYGOODSMAN'S HANDY DICTIONARY. 



Chatoyant (shah-toy-ant). — Possessing a 
changeable luster. Iridescent. See 
Shot. 

Check. — A small square or rectangular 
figure produced by colors of warp and 
filling crossing each other at right 
angles. The same effect produced in 
printing. 

Cheese Cloth. — Thin loose-woven muslin, 
bleached or brown, free from sizing, re- 
ceiving its name from its use in wrap- 
ping cheeses. Practically same as But- 
ter Cloth. Dyed Cheese Cloth known 
as Bunting, Surgeons' Cloth. 

Chemise (she-meez'). — A muslin under- 
shirt worn by women. 

Chemisette (shim-i-zef). — Practically a 
style of collar worn by women for cov- 
ering the neck and a portion of the 
shoulders and bosom. A partial che- 
mise. 

Chenille Cloth. — A pile fabric having the 
same design on both sides. 

Chenille Cord (she-neal' cord).— A fancy 
cord used in embroidery. 

Cheviot (shev'i-ot). — A cloth woven from 
the shaggy wool of Cheviot sheep, or 
one of the numerous imitations made 
from ordinary wool with a roughly-fin- 
ished surface. 

Cheviot Shirting. — A cotton shirting of 
soft finish in plain colors, stripes and 
checks; used also for children's wear. 

Chevron (shev'ron). — A V-shaped or zig- 
zag pattern in weaving. 

Chiffon (she-fon'). — A thin, gauze-like 
silk fabric of considerable strength used 
for dresses and trimmings. Any decora- 
tive object worn by women. 

Chignon (shee'nyon). — French for ar- 
rangement of women's back hair, now 
applied to a cluster of rolls or puffs of 
false hair. 

Chijimi (chi-je'mi). — A fast-dye drapery 
silk of Japanese manufacture. 

China Silk. — The plain woven hand-made 
silks of China, Japan and India and al- 
so the power-loom imitations at present 
commonly sold. 

Chinchilla. — Heavy, strong woolen cloth 
finished with a rubbed or tufted sur- 
face, used for warm outer garments. 
Coarse chinchillas are known as Whit- 
neys, fancy chinchillas as Flockones. A 
zephyr yarn dyed in black and white 
blotches. 

Chine i.sheen or she-nay') — An effect 
adopted from Chinese weaving produced 
by warp printing whereby a design 



shows indistinctly in the finished cloth; 
principally employed in silks. Also a 
fabric of double threads of different col- 
ors twisted together. 

Chintz. — A glazed cotton cloth printed 
usually in floral designs and used 
principally in upholstery. 

Chintz Braid. — A cotton galloon printed 
in small pa'tterns. 

Chlrimen. — A Japanese crepe made of 
silk, finished by a process of shrinking 
in water to produce the irregular sur- 
face. Similar fabric also made in cot- 
ton. 

Chou (shoo). — A large rosette of ribbon 
or tulle. 

Chudder. — A fine wool shawl made in 
India; also the wool from which it is 
made. Name given also to plain cash- 
mere shawls of solid color and loom 
figure. Any square cloth. 

Clan Tartan (klan-tar'tan). — The parti- 
cular tartan or plaid adopted by or be- 
longing to a Scotch Highland Clan. 

Clay Worsted. — A heavy cloth of dia- 
gonal weave used principally for men's 
clothes and coats. 

Cloak. — A sleeved wrap, worn by women 
as an outer protective garment. 

Cloaking. — Heavy material used for mak- 
ing cloaks. 

Cloche (klo-shay'). — French for bell or 
anything that is bell-shaped. A term 
used in millinery describing a droop- 
brim hat shape for women. 

Clock. — A figured ornament woven in or 
embroidered upon the ankle or leg of a 
stocking. 

Cloth of Gold. — An ancient ornate cloth 
in which gold wires or light strands 
were mixed with the fiber of the yarns. 

Clout. — A small piece of cloth to be used 
for a patch. A rag; a scrubbing cloth. 
Swaddling clothes. 

Coat. — An outer garment; a sleeved pro- 
tective wrap. 

Coating. — Fine worsted and woolen fa- 
brics adapted for any kind of coats. 

Coburg. — Twilled fabrics woven of wool 
and cotton or silk; commonly in imita- 
tion of cashmere, paramatta and other 
fine twilled cloths. Broadly, the class 
includes all twilled dress goods of cot- 
ton warp, in present commercial applica- 
tion. 

Cochineal (kotch'i-neal). — A dyestuff ob- 
tained from the heat-dried bodies of 
the minute female cochineal insect. It 
dyes a bright scarlet. 



THE DRYGOODSMAN'S HANDY DICTIONARY. 



16 



Cockle (cook'el). — To form wrinkles or 
ridges in a woven fabric; may be done 
by the filling slipping on the warp, or 
by shrinkage of warp or filling. 

Cocoa Matting.— (See Matting.) 

Coir (kawr). — The coarse fiber obtained 
from the husk of the cocoanut, used in 
the manufacture of matting, door mats 
and heavy cordage. 

Collar. — That part of apparel worn about 
the neck, whether separate, as a linen 
or lace collar, or attached, as the collar 
of a coat. 

Collarette. — A small collar or a fichu of 
lace, or similar material. A detached, 
cape-like ornament of fur, embroidered 
stuff, lace, or otherwise, worn flat upon 
the shoulders and not always closely 
enclosing the neck. See Knit Goods 
Terms. 

Collet (kol'et). — A small cape or any sort 
of collar. 

Comb. — The implement used in arrang- 
ing the hair; also a hair ornament. 

Combing. — Smoothing and arranging tex- 
tile fibers to be spun into yarns. 

Combination. — A term applied to under- 
wear, constructed in one piece in such 
a manner that it combines two or 
more garments in one. Known aiso as 
Union Suit. See Knit Goods Terms. 

Comfortable. — A bed cover consisting of 
two sheets of cloth thickly wadded be- 
tween with cotton or wool batting and 
quilted or tied by threads or cords 
through both surfaces, binding all 
closely together. Comforter. 

Comforter. — A long, narrow scarf or wide 
band knitted or crocheted of soft 
yarns and used as a head and neck 
covering. Same as Comfortable. 

Composition Cloth A strong, waterproof 

material made from flax. 

Coney Fur. — See Fur. 

Convent Cloth. — A fine, light dress goods 
of wool and silk woven with an uneven 
or irregular surface. 

Cope. — A form of loose outer garment; 
a large mantle or robe worn by ecclesi- 
astics or by laymen on ceremonial oc- 
casions. 

Coque (cock). — A small ribbon bow; also 
a cluster of glossy feathers; used as a 
trimming. 

Coquille (ko-kill'). — Effects so produced 
as to resemble the uneven surfaces of 
shells. 



Cordage. — A general term applied to all 
kinds of ropes and cords. 

Corde. — In ribbed or corded effect, woven, 
stitched, or made, lengthwise or cross- 
wise of the goods. 

Corded Fabrics. — Textiles having ribs or 
ridges on their surfaces, either in staple 
weaves or novelties. 

Cordonnett (kor-do-nay). — The slightly 
raised cord-like edge of a point lace 
pattern. Piping used to finish an edge. 

Corduroy. — A heavy ribbed cotton ma- 
terial made with a pile on a. twilled 
foundation. See Knit Goods Terms. 

Corkscrew Worsted. — A twilled worsted 
cloth used for men's clothing and for 
cloaks. 

Coronet Puff. — A straight row or chain 
of rolls or puffs of false hair. 

Corset. — A quilted underwaist made of 
stout twilled cloth "boned" or stiffened 
and adjustable by means of lacings; of 
many styles and shapes and worn for 
the purpose of improving the figure. 

Corset Cover. — A light muslin or knitted 
cover worn directly over the corset. 

Corset Jean. — A twilled cotton cloth of 
smooth hard surface used principally 
for making corsets but also for linings 
and pockets. Drilling. 

Costume. — The style of dress of a na- 
tion, class, or rank. All tne garments 
worn at one time. Fancy dress or the 
apparel and its arrangement for a parti- 
cular occasion. To attire in a costume. 

Cote de Cheval (cote-de-she-val'). — A 
corded, or ribbed, dress goods of all 
wool or a mixture with other fibers. 

Cotele (cote-lay). — A woolen dress goods 
having a light corded surface. 

Coteline (ko-te-lene'). — A variety of 
white muslin, corded or plain. 

Cottonade. — A cotton cloth for men's 
wear imitating woolens and worsteds in 
colors and weave. 

Cotton Batting. — See Batting. 

Cotton Damask. — An imitation of lmen 
aamask. The better grades are mercer- 
ized. 

Cotton Flannel. — See Canton Flannel. 

Cotton Opener. — A machine for loosening 
and lightening raw cotton. 

Cotton Picker. — A machine used to clean 
raw cotton preparatory to manufacture. 

Cotton Wool. — Raw cotton in the boll, 
or before manufacture. 



1G 



THE DRYGOODSMAN'S HANDT DICTIONARY. 



Cotton Worsted. — Heavy cotton cloth for 
clothing, in worsted styles. Similar to 
cottonade. 

Cotton Yarn See Yarn. 

Count. — The number given to thread or 
yarn of all fibers but raw silk to in- 
dicate its fineness, based upon the 
length in one pound. See tables in Ap- 
pendix. 

Counterpane. — The top cover of a bed; 
a bed-cover woven in a pattern or de- 
sign. 

Counting Glass. — A small, folding, mag- 
nifying glass used as an aid to count the 
number of threads of fabric within a 
given space. Also called linen glass. 

Couteau (koo-to'). — A knife-like quill or 
wing. 

Coutil (koo'teel). — A stout, canvas-like 
cloth sometimes of linen but usually 
of cotton in plain or herringbone weave, 
plain dyed or printed; used for corsets 
and garments requiring hard wear. 

Coventry Blue. — A superior worsted em- 
broidery thread made at Coventry, Eng- 
land. 

Coverlet. — The outer covering for a bed, 
especially if ornamental. 

Covert Cloth Name applied to a great 

variety of twilled woolen cloths used 
for outer garments and wraps. The 
best grades show a mottled appearance 
produced by parti-colored threads. 
Twilled cotton fabrics of stout weave. 

Cowl. — A monk's hood or the garment 
of which it is a part; a hooded garment. 

Crape. — A thin, veiling-like cloth with 
hard twisted threads in warp or filling 
or both which kink up when released 
from the loom and treated with a 
special sizing, forming a crinkled, un- 
even, stiff surface. 

Crape Cloth. — A silk or worsted cloth 
having a crinkled face. Woolen dress 
goods with an artificially craped surface. 

Craquele (krak-oo-lay'). — Broken glass 
effect in lace, net or silk. 

Crash. — A cloth of linen, flax, or cotton, 
plain or twilled weave, natural color, 
bleached or with colored checks, used 
for towels. At present also applied to 
rough cotton, linen or woolen fabrics for 
clothing "and fancy work. 

Cravat. — A piece of fine cloth or lace 
passed around the neck outside the col- 
lar and tied in front. A neck cloth. 

Cravenette (cra-ve-nef). — A twilled and 
closely woven worsted cloth, similar to 



serge, rendered waterproof by a pat- 
ented process. 

Crazy Quilt. — A bed, or couch quilt, made 
of irregular pieees of cloth fastened on 
a common foundation and catstitched 
or embroidered together. 

Crepe. — See Crape. 

Crepe de Chine (crape-de-sheen). — Liter- 
ally "Crape of China". Soft, lustrous 
silk crepe. 

Crepele (cray-pa-lay'). — Any slight, 
crepe-like appearance on a cloth sur- 
face. 

Crepe Llsse (crape lees). — A very thin 
smooth silk fabric stiffened with siz- 
ing and used for trimming and neck 
ruching. 

Crepon (cray-pon'). — Worsted, silk or 
cotton dress fabrics having a crinkled 
or crepe surface. 

Cretonne (cre-tonn')- — An upholstery cloth 
of cotton of various weights and widths 
with plain, irregular, or twilled surface 
printed in bright patterns. 

Crewel. — A lightly-twisted yarn of wool 
with sometimes a mixture of silk, used 
for embroidery and art work. 

Crinoline (crin'o-lin). — Ori-inally hair 
cloth, later the name applied to any 
materials for distending garments, and 
at present applied to a sized cotton 
cloth used for stiffening. The old-time 
hoop-skirt. 

Crispin (kris-pang). — A short cloak. 

Crochet (kro-shay'). — A kind of orna- 
mental knitting or fancy work produced 
with a thread, yarn, or small cord inter- 
looped by a single needle having a 
hooked end. 

Crochet Cotton. — A thread spun especially 
for use in crochet work. 

Crochet Hook. — A long metal, bone, or 
wooden needle, polished and finished 
with a hooked end. 

Crochet Quilt. — A bed covering woven in 
design which is usually reversible; in 
white or colors. 

Crofting The bleaching of linen cloth 

by spreading upon the grass and leav- 
ing it exposed to the sunlight and air, 
after soaking in lye. Derived from 
croft, the Scotch name for a small field. 

Croise (kroys). — A cross twill In weav- 
ing. Applied to velvets means twilled 
back instead of the old straight back. 

Crown Lining. — Any light, stiffened goods 
used for lining women's hats. 



THE DRYGOODSMAN'S HANDY DICTIONARY. 



17 



Crystal. — A heavy corded silk with wool 
filling In which the small cords alter- 
nate with large, regular or irregular 
cords. 

Cuff. — A band of linen or other material 
worn about the wrist inside or outside 
the end of the sleeve; also the end of 
a sleeve; also the end of a glove or 
gauntlet. 

Cuirass (kwee-ras'K — Breast plate of de- 
fensive armor; now used to describe a 
close fitting, long-waisted bodice of 
medieval style, usually made of elastic 
textile. 
, Curtain Drapery. — A class of piece goods 
for sash and window curtains, such as 
lace, net, muslin, etc. 

Cut Cashmere. — A light-weight, twilled 
worsted dress goods, having slight lon- 
gitudinal lines, so woven as to give the 
face the appearance of having been cut. 
Known also as Sebastopol. 

Cut-Work. — A style of applique work 
done with printed figures cut from one 
cloth and attached to another by ap- 
pliqueing and sometimes later clipping 
out the interstices. 

Cyprus (si'prus). — A gauzy black lawn, 
slightly stiffened, not now in use. 



Dalmatic. — A wide-sleeved tunic worn by 
ecclesiastics. A medieval state robe. 

Damask. — A Bilk fabric woven in elabor- 
ate patterns brought out in satin sur- 
faces having a raised appearance. A fine 
table linen with pattern produced by 
manipulation of the threads in the loom. 
A fabric of any fiber woven in rich de- 
signs and used for hangings, draperies, 
or decorations. A light shade of pink. 

Damask Stitch. — An embroidery stitch 
presenting a smooth, shiny appearance. 

Damasse (dah-ma-say'). — Fabrics orna- 
mented on the surface with a rich de- 
sign, the running figure woven, but not 
printed — same as damask. A Flemish 
linen with loom pictures of flowers and 
other figures. 

Damassin (dam'a-sin). — Damask having 
flowered patterns in gold or silver 
thread. Invented by the Venetians in 
the 17th century. 

Damier (dahm-yay). — A pattern of 
checker-board effect. 

Danish Cloth. — A semi-stiff cotton dress 
goods of heavy thread and plain weave, 
sold in white and plain tints. 

Darning Sail. — A wooden or metal ball 



with a handle, used to hold under the 
fabric being darned. 

Darning Cotton. — A slack-twisted cotton 
thread, used for mending hosiery and 
other knit goods. 

Darning Needle. — A long needle made 
especially for carrying yarns used in 
darning. 

Darn Net. — A coarse, open bobbinet In- 
tended especially for embroidery pur- 
poses. 

De Beige. — See Beige. 

Delaine (de-lane'). — Mousseline de Lalne. 
A light plain-woven dress fabric origin- 
ally all wool but later also made with 
cotton warp. Almost identical with 
challi. Printed or dyed plain. 

Denim. — A heavy cotton goods woven 
with twilled face and plain, back, dyed 
in plain colors and sometimes printed 
in stripes and checks. Blue and browns 
and some stripes and checks used for 
men's overalls; fancy colors for drap- 
eries and upholstery. 

Denmark Satin. — See Lasting. 

Dentelle (den-tel'). — The French name 
for lace. 

Derby. — A stiff felt hat with round crown 
and curved brim, made in varying 
shapes. 

Design. — -The arrangement of forms or 
figures on cloth by processes of weav- 
ing or by printing. 

Deux Tons (duh tong). — A double tone 
produced by combinations of colors. 

Diagonal. — Any fabric having its twilled 
face so woven as to present distinct 
trails or lines diagonally across the 
piece. 

Diaper. — Stout cloth of cotton or linen, 
used principally for making swaddling 
cloths for infants. Birdseye cloth. 

Dice. — A small pattern or design sup- 
posed to represent dice, woven in the 
surface of some cotton, linen and silk 
fabrics. 

Dickey. — A separate shirt-front usually 
of starched linen, worn over the breast 
in place of a shirt or to conceal a shirt. 

Dimity. — A cotton goods woven with a 
corded surface presenting stripes, 
checks, or bars and properly having a 
double threaded warp. In plain white 
and sometimes in plain tints and printed 
designs. It is also woven in heavier 
quality and printed with floral pat- 
terns, stripes and so forth and used for 
furniture coverings. 



18 



THE DRYGOODSMAN'S HANDY DICTIONARY. 



Directolre (di-rek-twar').— In the style of 
the French Directory, 1793-1801. 

Discharging — Removing the color in 
printed patterns or designs from a 
solid-color cloth by means of acids or 
other agents acting upon the dye and 
removing or "discharging" it. 

Distaff (dis'taf).— The stick on which is 
fastened the wool or flax in hand spin- 
ning. 

Doeskin. — A plain fine woolen cloth with 
a napped surface supposed to resembla 
a doe's skin. 

Dolly Varden. — A printed cotton goods 
having highly-colored flowers and figures. 
A dress made with bodice and short 
skirts from Dolly Varden prints. In 
style about 1870. 

Dolman. — A loose-fitting wrap having 
cape-like projections in place of sleeves. 
A garment worn by Turks. A military 
cape. 

Domestics. — A general term applied to 
cotton, linen and woolen cloths of com- 
mon domestic use. 

Domet (dom'et). — A plain cotton cloth 
of soft weave with a thick napped face; 
originally of cotton warp and wool fil- 
ling. Also spelled domett. 

Domino. — An adjustable robe and hood 
worn at masquerades. 

Dornock. — A damask linen cloth of diced 
or diapered pattern originally made at 
Dornick (Tourney) Flanders; also 
hangings and carpets of the same 
manufacture. A linen made at Dornoch, 
Scotland. Name given to linsey-wool- 
sey in some parts of England. Also 
written Dornick. 

Double Cloth. — A material in which two 
fabrics are combined into one by in- 
terlocked threads in weaving. 
Double Pile Fabric. — Any fabric woven 
with a pile on both sides. 
Doublet. — A close-fitting outer garment 
made with sleeves and sometimes a 
short skirt belted at the waist, worn 
by men about the end of the 15th cen- 
tury, and in use until the middle of 
the 17th century, usually worn with 
hose. Later an undergarment, made 
without sleeves and worn under the 
coat. 

Dowlas. — A strong unbleached linen cloth 
used in the 16th century in France and 
later manufactured in England. Name 
now applied to a strong cotton goods 
made in imitation of the linen fabric. 



Down. — The fine, soft body covering of 
fowls close to the skin. Most plentiful 
on water fowls. 

Doyley. — A small fringed napkin in white 
or colors, as first made by John D'Oyley, 
or Doily. Any small ornamental table 
mat. Also written Doily. 

Drap (drah). — A prefix borrowed from 
the French and applied to textiles of 
silk or wool. 

Drap D'Ete (drah-da-tay).— A fine 
worsted goods intended for summer 
wear, finished with a twilled face and 
an ungassed back. 

Drap De Soie (drah-de-swah'). — French, 
meaning silk cloth and applied gener- 
ally to all-silk fabrics. 

Draper. — A dealer in cloth or its manu- 
factures; as a linen draper, a woolen 
draper. The English term for drygoods 
merchant. 

Drapery. — Textile fabrics used for cur- 
tains, draperies and furniture cover- 
ings. 

Drap Satin (drah-sah-taing'). — A fine 
woolen dress goods having a glossy sur- 
face like satin, hence its name. 

Drap Soliel (drah-so-lay'yuh; drah-so- 
le'il). — A fine woolen dress goods made 
in France, highly finished and having a 
wide band as a weave feature. 

Drawn Work. — Fancy work performed by 
drawing certain threads from a cloth 
and arranging and fastening the balance 
in openwork designs. 

Dresden. — Term applied to a combina- 
tion of light colors of the most delicate 
shades which forms a design after the 
style of Dresden china. 

Dress Binding.— See skirt binding — braid. 

Dress Coat.— A black coat for men of 
fine material, having the skirts cut 
away over the hips, worn on occasions 
of full dress. Claw-hammer; swallow- 
tail. 

Dressing Gown — A loose gown worn by 
women previous to dressing. Also ap- 
plied to a loose long coat worn by pro- 
fessional men in private. 

Dressing Sacque.— A loose-fitting long 
waist worn by women. 

Dress Lining — Any material used for lin- 
ing or finishing the insides of women's 
and children's garments. 

Dress Shield — A doubled piece of elastic 
fabric rendered impervious to perspira- 
tion, shaped for insertion in the arm- 
pit of a sleeve. 



THE DRTGOODSMAN'S HANDY DICTIONARY. 



19 



Dress Stay. — A narrow strip of stiff ma- 
terial covered with cloth and made in 
various lengths and used for stiffening 
waists and other garments. 

Dress Trimming. — Any braid, embroidery, 
passementerie, or other continuous or 
separate ornamental production de- 
signed for decorating or garnishing 
dresses. 

Drilling. — Strong, twilled cloths of many- 
kinds designed for various purposes 
where strength and durability are de- 
sired. 

Dress D. — A twilled cotton goods usually 
27 inches wide, in white and plain 
colors used for lining waists of dresses. 
Corset jean. 

Cotton D. — Known as pocket drill, usu- 
ally sold unbleached; of twilled weave 
and from very strong yarns. 

Linen D. — Very close-woven and em- 
ployed principally for mattresses and 
linings where strength is desired. 

Drugget (drug'et). — Formerly a heavy 
twilled goods used in wraps. Any coarse 
or heavy fabric, felted or woven plain, 
with woven designs or printed, used 
as a rug. Name also applied to ingrain 
art squares and other large rugs. 

Drummer. — One who solicits orders from 
retailers, especially for a wholesale 
house of any kind, by traveling from 
town to town. Also known as a com- 
mercial traveler, road man, or traveling 
salesman. 

Drygoods. — Name used in the United 
States to designate textile fabrics and 
allied wares and merchandise, corre- 
sponding to English drapery and mer- 
cery. In England, goods sold by dry 
measure. 

Duchesse. — A satin fabric of which the 
back is woven in flat twills, making a 
smooth face, not showing the twill. 

Duck. — A heavy plain textile made in 
linen and cotton and handled principally 
in brown and bleached. The lighter 
weights used for summer clothing. 

Dundee Goods. — Manufactures from Dun- 
dee, Scotland, including fabrics made 
of hemp, flax, jute, or a combination 
of them. 

Dunrobin. — A fine Scotch plaid. 

Dunster. — A kind of broadcloth of the 
17th century. Cassimere. 

Duster. — A light outer garment worn to 
protect the clothing from dust, hence 
the name. Made of linen or any light 



cotton or half-wool goods of smooth 
surface. 

Dutch Neck. — A term used in garment 
making which describes a low cut neck 
in square, round or pointed shape. 

Dutch Collar. — A flat collar worn by wo- 
men and children. Also known under 
the names of Eton, Puritan and Buster 
Brown. 

Dyeing. — Impregnating fiber, In what- 
ever state of preparation for consump- 
tion, with coloring matter. 



Ear Muffs. — Adjustable coverings for the 
ears worn as a protection against the 
cold. Ear caps. 

Earring. — An ornamental piece of jewel- 
ry of varying shapes and composition, 
worn fastened in the ear. Under this 
head come Eardrops and Earbob. 
Echarpe (a-sharp). — Literally a scarf. 
Applied to the long, floating ends in a 
broad stole effect, employed in ladies' 
neckwear. 

Ecru (eck-roo'). — Unbleached. Having a 
shade of color like unbleached cotton, 
raw silk, raw linen. A light brownish 
yellow. 

Edging. — Narrow lace or embroidery used 
for trimming or finishing the edges of 
garments. 

Egyptian Cotton. — A lustrous fiber grown 
on irrigated lands of the Upper Nile 
and known as Maco, the name of a 
large planter. Preferable for threads, 
hosiery and underwear. 

Egret. — The light floating feathers ob- 
tained from the heron. 

Eiderdown (eye-der-down). — The down 
of the eider duck, very light, soft and 
warm; largely gathered from the nests. 

Eiderdown Cloth. — A thick, soft fabric 
with a knitted cotton foundation and a 
surface of heavy wool, which is brushed 
to a thick, heavy nap; made in plain 
colors and fancies, also in all cotton. 

Elastic Webbing. — Braids made elastic by 
means of small rubber strands laid 
lengthwise of the braid, around which 
the threads are woven. 

Electoral Cloth. — A reversible dress goods 
of wool, silk and wool, or cotton and 
wool, resembling Merino in finish. 

Ell.— An English unit of measure 1% 
yards long used chiefly for textiles. 

Elysian (e-liz'yan). — A diagonal chin- 
chilla. 



20 



THE DRYGOODSMAN'S HANDY DICTIONARY. 



Embossed Velvet. — A velvet usually hav- 
ing a smooth ground ornamented with 
bosses or raised figures in pile. Bro- 
caded. 

Embossing. — Producing bosses or raised 
ornaments in relief upon any surface. 

Embroidery — Cloth or other material or- 
namented by raised figures of needle- 
work in silk, cotton or other thread. 

Embroidery Canvas See Canvas. 

Embroidery Cotton.— A soft cotton thread 
used for embroidering. 

Embroidery Crash. — A coarse threaded 
linen used for embroidery and fancy 
work. 

Embroidery Hoop A combination of 

two hoops, one fitting tightly over the 
other so that the material to be em- 
broidered is held firmly when placed be- 
tween them. 

Embroidery, or Art Linen. — A round- 
threaded linen cloth of very even sur- 
face and a finish designed for easy em- 
broidery; also a white embroidery 
thread. 

Embroidery Needle. — A needle used for 
embroidery purposes. 

Embroidery Silk. — Anything in that great 
class of silk threads made especially 
for embroidery pi rposes. 

Empire. — Styles of women's dress fash- 
ionable during the reign of Napoleon I. 
based oni the mode of dress customary 
in ancient Greece. 

Empress Cloth.— Same as Electoral Cloth. 
Empress Gauze — A loom-figured gauze 

made of silk or sometimes of silk and 

linen. 

Enameled Cloth.— (See American Cloth.) 

En Carreau. — See Carreau. 

End. — A thread of yarn used in weaving. 

English Eyelet. — Term in embroidery to 
designate the open patterns that are 
peculiar to all English embroideries. 

Eolienne (ay-o-li-en). — A sheer silk and 
wool fabric. 

Eplngle (ep'pain-gle). — Silk or silk and 
wool dress goods having lustrous cords, 
of varying size and at irregular spac- 
ings, running crosswise of the cloth. 
Epingline (ep'paing-lene). — (S a m e as 
Epingle.) 

Equestrian Tights.— Knitted tights cover- 
ing the body completely from the waist 
to the toes; combination drawers and 
hose. Also spelled Equestrienne. See 
Knit Goods Terms. 



Ermine (er'min). — The snow white fur 
of a weasel-like quadruped inhabiting the 
cold regions of the northern hemisphere. 

Escurial tes-ku'ri-al). — The wavy or 
bended lines woven in textiles or some- 
times embroidered upon them, simulat- 
ing heavy designs. 

Estamin (es-tam'in). — A woolen cloth of 
Prussian manufacture used where hard 
wear is expected; also a coarse silk fa- 
bric of the 17th century. 

Estamine (es-ta-meen')- — A narrow 
French wool dress goods of twilled 
weave and rough surface. 

Etamine (et'a-meen). — A canvas weave 
of wool goods with a wide mesh, rend- 
ering it more or less transparent; seme- 
times woven with a silk stripe. Imi- 
tated in cotton. 

Etching Silk — Fine, rather hard-twisted 
silk thread used for embroidery, out- 
lining and delicate needle-work effects. 

Eton Collar — A flat stiff collar worn by 
students of Eton College, now adopted 
for general wear by women. Also known 
as Puritan, Dutch and Buster Brown. 

Eton Jacket. — Short outer garment for 
women which reaches a little above the 
waist line. Term derived from a gar- 
ment worn by students of Eton College 
in England. 

Everlasting. — See Laces. 



Faconne (fah-so-nay'). — When connected 
with any textiles it means fashionable, 
fancy, stylish. Silk or wool figured 
goods with a surface of raised design. 

Factor. — A commission merchant. A cot- 
ton factor; a wool factor. 

Factory Cloth. — Name applied to the first 
unbleached mill muslins of American 
manufacture and still used by old people 
to designate any yard-wide cotton. 

Factory Yarn. — Yarn produced from local 
wools by country woolen mills. 

Fagoting (fag'ot-ing). — A criss-cross 
openwork stitch done in a rope silk. 
Ornamenting textiles by drawing some 
threads and tying the balance. 

Faille (fail).— Soft ribbed dress silk with 
a prominent cord extending across the 
fabric, and so heavy as Ottoman, twice 
as large as grosgrain. Faille Francaise. 
Also a nun's hood and veil covering 
head and shoulders. 

Fan. — An implement especially used for 
cooling the face by agitating the air. 



THE DRYGOODSMAN'S HANDY DICTIONARY. 



21 



Fancy Goods.— Choice articles, small- 
wares and ornamental goods. Goods 
having uses more for decoration than 
practical service. 

Farmers' Satin.— A twilled face, glossy- 
finish, firm cloth of cotton warp and 
wool filling, having a satiny appear- 
ance and used for clothing linings and 
petticoats. Sold principally in black. 

Farthingale. — A device used by women 
in the 16th and 17th centuries to ex- 
tend their skirts, similar to hoops. 

Fascinator. — A scarf with a broad center 
which narrows both ways into long 
ends that extend nearly to points, knit- 
ted or crocheted from soft yarns and 
worn as a woman's head covering. 

Fayal Lace. — See Lace Terms. 

Fayetta. — A soft near-silk cloth of silk 
and wool, having a twilled face. Al- 
most identical with Gloria Silk. 

Fearnaught. — A heavy shaggy woolen 
goods used for sailors' clothing. 

Featherbone. — A patented stiffening ma- 
terial manufactured from the quills of 
fowls into braids the width of whale- 
bone and used as a substitute therefor. 

Feather Cloth.— A very warm, rough 
cloth composed of wool and feathers 
woven together. 

Fedora A felt hat with shaped brim 

and soft crown made in various heights 
and proportions. 

Fell. — The end of a piece of cloth in the 
loom formed for cutting out by the 
last threads of the filling. A method 
of finishing and laying a seam flat. 

Felt. — A cloth formed of textile fiber by 
laying the fibers together and forming 
a compact and pliable material through 
moisture, heat and pressure, or by wet- 
ting and shrinking, or by forming a 
union through sizing or other welding 
compound. 

Ferret. — Narrow ribbon for binding or 
making rosettes; also a filoselle. 

Festoon. — A loop or garland of anything 
hanging between two points in a curve. 
Scallop. 

hez. — A felt cap made like a truncated 
cone usually red in color and finished 
with a black silk tassel inserted in the 
top and allowed to hang over the side. 

Fiber. — A thread-like portion of any sub- 
stance, as of wool, silk, cotton. A 
single filament. 

Flbrllia (fi-bril'ya).— Substitute fiber to 
be used in place of or in connection with 



more valuable material in weaving, pre- 
pared from the coarser grades of fiber 
plants and sometimes from tough 
grasses. 

Fichu (fee-shoo'). — A triangular piece 
of any material, especially lace, worn 
round the neck. A square of cloth 
folded into a triangle, to be placed over 
the shoulders, the ends to be crossed in 
front and returned under the arms to 
be fastened behind at the waist. An 
overdress for neck and shoulders of the 
appearance of a double bib or abbrevi- 
ated stole, more or less ornamented 
and trimmed. 

Filature. — A machine used for reeling 
the filament or thread from silk co- 
coons. The process of drawing threads. 

Filibeg (fil'i-beg). — The modern short, 
pleated kilt skirt of the Scotch High- 
landers. Also written Fillibeg. 

Fillet. — A narrow band for binding the 
hair. Also known as a bandeau. 

Filling. -The threads which reach from 
side to side of a woven fabric. The 
weft or woof of the goods. See Carpet 
Terms. 

Filoselle (fil-o-zel').— A kind of floss silk 
used for embroidering; ferret. 

Filo Silk.— A soft silk thread made 
especially for certain kinds of embroid- 
ery. 

Finishing.— The final preparation for 
market given to all textiles and gar- 
ments. 

Finishing Braid. — A narrow flat braid 
woven in figures, used for ornamenting 
garments. Also used to cover seams and 
finish raw edges. 

Fish Net. — A coarse thread net. 

Flannel. — A loosely woven woolen, cot- 
ton and wool, or silk and wool, 
cloth with a nap surface used for un- 
der-garments, dresses, etc. Name also 
applied to cotton goods woven and 
finished in imitation. 

Flannelette. — A soft, narrow flannel 
made especially for underwear. The 
name sometimes given to cotton outing 
cloths. 

Flat Cambric— The soft finished lining 
cambric put up in flat folds. 

Flat Fold.— Goods rolled without doubling. 
Applied to wool dress goods woven In 
24 to 32 inch widths and rolled like 
ginghams. 



22 



THE DRYGOODSMAN'S HANDY DICTIONARY. 



Flat Goods. — Descriptive term applied to 
machine knit cloths used in making 
underwear in distinction from the more 
elastic ribbed goods. 

Flat Stitch — Embroidery in flat stitches 
having no padding underneath to raise 
the figure. 

Flax. — The plant and its fiber from which 
is prepared the linen of commerce. 

Fleece The woolly hair of the sheep; 

the entire coat after it is shorn. 

Fleur-de-lis (flewr-de-lee). — A figure 
which has long been a favorite with de- 
signers, but of disputed origin. Said 
to have been adopted as the .French 
royal emblem by Louis VII. 

Flitter. — Spangles made of bright ma- 
terial, light in weight. 

Floats. — The filling threads in a fabric 
which have skipped over the warp and 
lie unengaged on the surface. 

Flock. — Finely ground wool, rags, felt, or 
cloth, used for stuffing upholstery. 
Any waste wool. 

Flockone. — See Chinchilla. 

Floconne (fto-so-nay'). — A silk dress ma- 
terial having small flakes of white or 
color. 

Florence.— A thin silk taffeta. 

Florentine. — The fancy or plain heavy silk 
used for men's vests or waistcoats. Al- 
so used to signify a small close-fitting 
head dress for children. 

Floret Silk (flo'ret). — The yarn spun 
from the best grade of waste silk. 

Floretta — Same as Floss Silk. 

Floss-Silk. — The outside or envelope of 
the silk cocoon; the fiber broken off in 
the filature. A soft, fluffy, untwisted 
embroidery silk. 

Flounce — A garnered or plaited strip of 
any material sewed to a skirt near the 
bottom by its upper edge. 

Flouncing.— Material used for making 
flounces. 

Folds — The regular lengths of textiles in 
the piece, (laid for rapid measuring. 
Plaits in a garment. 

Foot. — The unit of measure originally 
based on the length of a man's foot. 
Twelve inches. One-third of a yard. 

Foot Glove. — A heavy woolen stocking 
worn over the shoe. 

Footing. — A parallel strip used for attach- 
ing an edging to a garment; the straight 
edge of a lace or similar trimming. 

Foot-Sheet. — A sheet thrown over the 



chair occupied during the toilet. A 
sheet for the foot of the bed. 

Foulard (foo-lard'). — A soft, thin, un- 
twilled washable dress silk. Twilled 
foulard is a silk serge. A silk hand- 
kerchief used to tie around the neck or 
over the head. 

Foulardine. — Cotton goods in imitation 
of foulard. 

Fourchette (for-shef). — A forked piece 
inserted at the side of glove fingers. 

Fourragere. — Ornaments of braid set on 
each side of a bodice, and connected by 
one or more long, drooping cords. 

Four-in-Hand — A style of men's neck- 
wear designed to leave two long ends 
after tying. 

Frieze (freez). — A thick and heavy wool- 
en cloth with a nap on one side used in 
the manufacture of outer garments. 
Originated in Ireland where it is pro- 
nounced Frize. 

Frill. — An ornamental band of lace or 
fine muslin fulled and fastened at one 
edge, ttye other edge being left free. A 
ruffle. A neck ruching. 

Fringe. —A continuous border of threads 
or cords loose or twisted, arranged 
and combined, attached to the edge of a 
braid by which it may be fastened to 
anything for the purpose of ornament 
or garnishment. 

Frise (freez). — A fine frieze on which 
the nap is made up of very small loops; 
also written Frisetta. 

Frock. — The principal outer garment for 
women ; also signifying a monk's robe, 
a coarse outer garment worn by labor- 
ers, a coarse woolen garment worn by 
sailors. 

Frock Coat. — A coat for men made with 
a long, full skirt. 

Frocking. — Any fabric suitable for mak- 
ing men's work-frocks. 

Frog. — A fastening for coats, waists and 
other outer garments, consisting of an 
oblong button or brandenburg and a 
corresponding loop each surrounded by 
ornamental braiding. 

Fuller's Earth. — A clay used in fulling 
woolen cloth and for removing free 
grease by absorption. 

Full Fashioned. — See Knit Goods Terms. 

Full Regular See Knit Goods Terms. 

Fulling. — The shrinking of woolen cloth 
in a fulling machine whereby it is made 
firmer and more durable with a loss of 
width and length. 



THE DRYGOODSMAN'S HANDY DICTIONARY. 



23 



Fur.— The short, soft, fine coat covering 
the skin of many animals from which 
the coarser overhair has been removed 
In most cases, although some commercial 
furs contain the complete hair coat. 

FUR TERMS. 

Angora. — See under general definitions. 

Astrakhan. — See under general defini- 
tions. 

Badger. — Grizzled gray or black with 
white spots and stripes. Principal uses 
tor paint brushes and robes. 

Bear. Black. — Long, soft, woolly, shiny, 
sooty black to red brown. For robes 
and clothing. 

Beor, Brown. — Texture much like black 
bear; color varies from yellowish to 
d;irk brown. For garments and trim- 
mings. 

Bear, Grizzly. — Rough, grizzly gray. For 
coats and robes. 

Bear. White or Polar. — Coarse, stiff yel- 
lowish white to pure white. Robes. 

Beaver. — Exceedingly fine and close; 
gray beneath, black above. For un- 
limited uses. 

Cat, Civet. — Dark gray, with black 
stripes and square blotches. Trimmings 
and garments. 

Cat, Wild. — Muddy gray, thin and 
coarse. Little value. 

Chinchilla. — Very soft, fine, silvery gray. 
Expensive and sold principally for trim- 
mings and small articles. 

Coney. — Properly the fur from a Eu- 
ropean hare but the word designates 
many cheap furs. 

I 'oypou. — South American beaver. Very 
fine gray fur grading to a soft tan shade 
at outer extremity. Used for all fur 
purposes. Same as Nutria. 

Electric Seal. — A name given to an 
imitation of seal prepared from muskrat, 
coney and other cheap furs. 

Ermine. — See under general definitions. 
Fisher. — Fine, shiny, dark gray to black, 

in parts mixed with brown. Same as 

Pekan. Expensive. 

Fox, Black and Silver. — A variation of 
the common red fox — a freak — varying 
from totally black to white-tipped black 
hair. Extremely valuable because of 
rarity. 

Fox. Blue. — Variant from the Arctic white, 
having a bluish slate fur. Very valu- 
able. 



Fox, Cross. — Common red with darker 

red markings or lines. 
Fox, White. — The Arctic fox, which is 

white in winter and brown in summer. 

Goat. — Coarse outer hair; soft under- 
neath. Rugs, robes and coats. 

Lamb. — Most lambskins used as furs 
come from Asia or eastern Europe. 
These furs are especially marked for 
the density and close curl of the hair. 
They range in color from pure white 
to jet black and include the Blue Tibet, 
Persian Krimmer, Astrakhan, Mouflon 
and other lambskins known under com- 
mercial names. 

Lynx. — Color gray, varying in depth with 
the locality of growth, with a reddish 
sub-tinge. 

Marmot. — Grizzly brownish-gray, of little 
value. The common woodchuck or 
ground hog. 

Marten. — Very valuable. Embracing sev- 
eral shades of color. The Siberian sable, 
European marten and American pine 
marten are very much alike, with 
brown fur lighter on the belly and 
coarse black hairs, which are plucked 
out. The stone marten has white belly 
and Indian marten has yellow breast. 

Mink. — Clear chestnut brown when trap- 
ped at proper season, with sometimes 
white neck markings and tail that 
graduates to black at the tip. 

Mole. — Smooth, gray, short and of little 
value. 

Monkey.— Long, glossy black. Used for 
muffs and coat trimmings. 

Mouflon (moof'lon). — Long-haired sheep 
of Corsica and Sardinia. Used for muffs 
and trimmings. 

Muskrat. — Fur gray, thick and soft. 
Outer hair dark umber, which is 
plucked out. Used for garments. 

Nutria. — See Coypou. 

Opossum. — Coarse outer hair with soft 
gray fur. 

Otter. — Dark brown at the surface and 
grayish at the base. In the sea-otter 
a deep liver-brown silvered with scat- 
tered gray hairs. The most valuable of 
furs. 

Pekan. — See Fisher. 

Persian Lamb. — See Lamb. 

Raccoon.— Fur grayish-brown with outer 
hair of black and gray. 

Sable, Russian.— See Marten. 



24 



THE DRTGOODSMAN'S HANDY DICTIONARY. 



Seal. — The natural color is gray for the 
outer hair and brown for the fur. The 
outer hair is plucked out and the fur is 
dyed deep "seal" brown for commerce. 

Skunk. — Ranging in color from yellow- 
ish white to jet black— the latter the 
most valuable. Very thick and shiny. 
Sometimes sold for sable and marten. 

Squirrel. — Ranging from gray to black; 
fine and glossy. Used principally for 
trimmings. 

Wolf. — Very coarse and long hair rang- 
ing from gray to black. Used largely 
for robes. 

Zibeline. — Same as sable. 



Furniture Cord.— Small ropes or cords 
in colors for decorating furniture up- 
holstery. 

Fustanelle (fus-tan-ell').— The short 
white skirt worn by Greek men. 

Fustian (fust'yan). — A coarse, heavy cot- 
ton fabric having a short pile such aa 
corduroy and velveteen; formerly a stout 
cloth made of cotton and flax. 

G. 

Gabardine (gab-ar-deen').— A long, loose 
cloak of coarse material. Once the pre- 
scribed dress for Jews. 

Gaiter See Overgaiter. 

Galerum. — An ancient head dress. 

Galligaskins. — Long, loose trunk hose 
worn in ..he 16th century. Protective 
leather leggings worn by sportsmen. 

Galloon (gal-loon'). — A closely woven 
worsted band, like a narrow ribbon or 
tape, used for binding. A dress trim- 
ming consisting of an embroidered band 
or tape. A metal band or tape used on 
uniforms. 

Galon (gah-long). — The French and bpan- 
ish equivalent for galloon. 

Galluses. — See Suspender. 

Gambroon.— A light-weight twilled cloth 
of wool, or linen, and cotton used for 
trousers. A twilled linen lining. 

Garnettlng (gar'net-ing).— A method of 
re-carding the waste fibers of yarn, 
cloth and knitting mills so they may 
be utilized. 

Garniture. — The elaborate decorations of 
women's gowns, composed of trimmings 
and embellishments. 

Garter. — An elastic band or tape or 
similar contrivance used to keep the 
stocking in place and passing around 
the leg either above or below the knee. 



Garter Web.— See Elastic Webbing. 

Gassing. — The process of singeing off the 
loose fibers on cloth or thread by pas- 
sing througn a gas flame. 

Gauffre (goffer).— Same as English Gof- 
fer. To form plaits or ruffles or raised 
effects in a fabric. A fluting on the 
edge of lace. Moire silks are goffered. 

Gauntlet (gawnt'let).— A glove with a 
long wrist extension or cutf. 

Gauze. — Very thin, light, openwork fa- 
bric of -ilk, cotton or linen. 

Gauze Weaving.— A method employed in 
weaving of thin fabrics by which some 
of the warp threads are twisted about 
each otner and held by the filling so as 
to make openwork designs. 

Genappe (je-nap'). — A worsted yarn of 
great smoothness that is combined with 
silk and used In fringes and braids. 
First made in Genappe, Belgium. 

Genapping ( je-nap'ing). — Making worsted 
yarns smooth by gassing. 

German Knitting Worsted. — A coarse, 
soft-twisted, worsted yarn, dyed in com- 
mon colors and also left natural, used 
for knitting and crocheting. 

Germantown Yarn. — A heavy, soft wool- 
en yarn especially adapted to knitting 
and crocheting. First produced at Ger- 
mantown, Pa. 

Gibson Collar.— Very high stock or neck- 
band shaped to the neck and made with 
high points at each side which reach to 
the ears. 

Gibson Pleat. — Named after Gibson's 
drawings, in which his girls are drawn 
with very broad shoulders. The pleat 
is made to extend out beyond the nor- 
mal shoulder line. 

Gigging. — Raising a nap on woolen cloths 
by passing them over rotating cylinders 
armed with teasels. 

Gimp. — A narrow, flat, ornamental trim- 
ming made of silk, worsted or cotton, 
and sometimes containing metal in 
small wires or flat strands. 
Gingham. — Light-weight, yarn-dyed lin- 
en or cotton goods, usually cotton, woven 
in checks, plaids, stripes and figures em- 
bracing a numerous list of kinds which 
have little to distinguish them but are 
mainly proprietary with copyrighted or 
registered names. Under the head of 
ginghams come the following: 
Apron Checks.— Of white and color, al- 
ternating both ways, or two colors, in 
small regular or irregular checks. Regu- 



THE DRYGOODSMAN'S HANDY DICTIONARY. 



25 



lar checks are known as 2x2, 4x4, etc., 
according to the number of threads 
forming the check. These also some- 
times come under the class of "cotton 
checks" in some localities. 27-inch. 

Chambray G. — A fine gingham principally 
in plain shades and tints calendered be- 
tween hot rollers to give it a smooth, 
shiny surface. 26 to 2S-inch. 

French and Scotch G. — Are high-grade 
qualities properly imported from France 
and Scotland but more often the names 
are applied to domestic goods. 30 to 
36-inch. 

Madras G. — Is woven in imitation of em- 
broidered madras handkerchiefs. 

Seersucker G. — A gingham woven from 
cotton in imitation of genuine East In- 
dian linen seersucker. (See general defini- 
tions.) 27-inch. 

Umbrella G. — Solid color, principally in 
black, made especially for cotton um- 
brellas. 

Zephyr G. — Is of soft finish, woven of 
fine yarns and in delicate and attractive 
colors. 27 to 36-inch. (Note. Every 
manufacturer has private brands and it 
is impossible to make a detailed de- 
scription of each.) 



Girdle. — A band or belt used to gird a 
loose garment about the waist. 

Glace (gla-say'). — Applied to anything 
having a glistening, smooth surface re- 
sembling ice. 

Glass Cloth. — A smooth, plain linen towel- 
ing, usually checked by threads of color, 
used as dish toweling. A cloth woven of 
fine spun-glass threads. 

Glazing Producing a smooth, shiny sur- 
face as a finish, usually with the calen- 
dering machine and heat. 

Gloria. — A light, soft twilled cloth of silk 
warp and wool filling used principally 
for umbrella covers. Lansdowne, Sub- 
lime and similar goods are glorias. 

Gloss. — To steam, then twist when per- 
fectly dry, for the purpose of producing 
a luster. Done with hanks of silk. 

Glove. — A covering for the hand which 
provides a separate compartment for 
each^ digit. 

GLOVE SEWING. 

Cable-stitch, round-stitch or over-seam 
Is over-and-over sewing done with the 
edges together. Pique, lap, or flat-stitch 
is through-and-through with one edge 



flat on top of the other. Outseam Is 
done with the edges parallel and stitched 
through both, back and forth. Inseam is 
a wrong-side sewing which does not 
show after the glove is turned right side 
out. Welt seam is done like the in- 
seam with the addition of a narrow 
strip of leather or welt placed between 
the edges. 

Fabric gloves are knitted or woven of 
fine spun yarns of cotton, linen, wool 
and silk — all machine-made. 

Berlin. — Means a cotton glove. Usually 
applied to men's cotton gloves, black 
or white. 

Cashmere G. — A finely-knitted wool of 
considerable thickness, often with a 
brushed surface inside. 

Double-Tipped. — Woven with an extra 
web or thickness over the finger-ends. 

Frame-made G. — Seamless and made in 
one piece like a seamless stocking. 

Jersey G. — Tight fitting, with no opening 
at the wrist. 

Milanese G. — Of superior workmanship 
from a highly-finished silk thread. 

Scotch or Golf G. — Seamless, or frame- 
made, of worsted yarns. Very heavy. 

Taffeta G. — Formerly made of linen and 
silk stockinet but now usually of cotton 
and silk. Light and soft. 

Town-made G. — Cut from glove fabric 
and sewed up like garments and leather 
gloves. Originally so-named on the 
theory that town seamstresses were su- 
perior to country women. 

GLOVE TERMS. 

Buckskin. — Made from the skins of deer 

and kindred animals. 
Castor. — Light weight gloves made of 

any thin leather from which the grain 

has been removed in imitation of beaver 

skin. 

Chamois (shammy). — A glove of soft, 
washable leather sometimes made from 
the skin of a wild goat of the Alps but 
generally imitated in sheepskin. 

Coltskin. — Genuine coltskin or split 
horsehide. Very soft, smooth and dur- 
able. 

Dogskin. — Not from dogs' skins but the 
skins of Cape sheep. 

Fourchette. — See general definitions. 

Gauntlet. — See general definitions. 

Glace (gla-say'). — Finished with a glossy 
or polished surface. 



26 



THE DRYGOODSMAN'S HANDY DICTIONARY. 



Hogskin. — Coarse-grained and rather 
harsh; used for working gloves. 

Horsehide. — Properly finished is soft and 
very durable. 

Kid. — The dress glove. Real kidskin is 
used only in the better grades, the 
cheaper gra'des being of smachsen, or 
lambskin. 

Mocha. — A soft, velvety, face-dyed leath- 
er originally from Arabian sheep skins, 
although now much imitated in ordin- 
ary sheep and goat; very strong and 
very durable. 

Nappa. — Tough, light yellow goatskin. 

Oil Tanned. — A pliable heavv leather used 
for working gloves. 

Plymouth Buck. — A drab-colored buck- 
skin. 

Saranac. — Oil tanned buckskin, yellow in 
color. 

Smachsen. — Lambskin used for making 
"Kid" gloves. 

Suede. — See general definitions. 

Undressed. — See Suede under general de- 
finitions. 



Gobelin Tapestry. — (See Tapestry.) 

Golf Cloth.— (See Albert Cloth.) 

Goods. — Merchandise prepared for con- 
sumption, ready for use. 

Gore. — Term used in tailoring and all 
garment making and applied to any- 
thing that is cut gradually so as to nar- 
row down to a given point. Also an 
inserted wedge-shaped piece of cloth to 
give shape to "straight pieces. 

Gossamer (gos'a-mer). — A very thin 
strong, soft gauze. A waterproof gar- 
ment made very light. 

Gown. — The dress or robe worn by wo- 
men. Night gown, a sleeping garment. 
A loose house garment. A long and 
loose outer robe worn by professional 
people as a badge of office or position. 

Granite. — A granite-like surface in weav- 
ing showing a mottled coloring or an 
irregular surface. 

Grass Bleaching. — The process of bleach- 
ing cloth by spreading on the grass and 
exposing to joint action of light, air and 
moisture for a period necessary to fetch 
pure whiteness. Also known as Grass- 
ing. 

Grass Cloth. — A thin light cloth made in 
the Orient from the fiber of nettle plants 
like the ramie, of a dark linen color. A 
heavy cloth made in the Canary Is- 
lands from vegetable fiber. A yellowish 



muslin made in imitation of the Oriental 
grass cloth. 

Gray Cloth and Yarn. — Yarns and cloths 
in an uncleansed condition as they come 
from the looms. 

Gray Cotton. — The undyed and unbleached 
cotton cloth. 

Grenadine (gren-a-deen'). — A thin, gauzy, 
silk or woolen fabric woven in de- 
signs. Used for dresses and shawls. 

Gretchen. — A style of girl's dress which 
consists of a full skirt and shortened 
waist in German peasant style. 

Grogram (grog'ram). — A silk and wool 
or silk and mohair stuff of coarse tex- 
ture, not now in market. 

Gros (gro).— Any heavy or stout textile, 
especially of silk or containing silk. 

Gros de Indes (gro den In'des). — A silk 
having a diagonal band or stripe. 

Gros de Londres (gro deh Lon'dra). — A 
highly finished silk having transverse 
cords. 

Gros de Naples (gro deh Na'ples). — An 
organzine silk of superior manufacture 
and finish. 

Gros de Tours (gro deh Toorz). — A dull 
black silk with a heavy taffeta cord, 
known as mourning silk; also silk warp 
and wool filling cloths of similar dull 
appearance. 

Grosgrain (gro'grain). — A light-corded 
silk of semi-dull finish and standard im- 
portance, having great durability. 

Guana (gwah'nah). — Cloth made from 
the fiber of the laeebark tree. 

Guernsey (gern'zy). — A heavy, knitted 
frock or outer shirt worn by sailors. 
See Jersey. 

Guimpe (gimp or ganp). — A chemisette 
to be worn with low-cut dress, with or 
without sleeves. 

Gunny. — A coarse heavy sacking manu- 
factured from jute or hemp. Used for 
bagging and covering packages of mer- 
chandise ready for transportation. 

H. 

Haberdasher. — In England, a dealer in 
notions and fancy goods; in the United 
States, a dealer in men's furnishings. 

Habit. — Outer dress designed for special 
use or occasion, as horseback riding or 
sailing; synonymous with suit. 

Habutai (hab-u-ti). — A Japanese silk 
somewhat heavier than china silk, of 
soft texture. Also written Habutaye 
(hah-bew'tah-ye). 



THE DRYGOODSMAN'S HANDY DICTIONARY. 



27 



Habit Back.— A term used to describe 
the cut of skirt which is made flat, 
without any fullness or pleats, but 
may have a seam in the center. 

Hair Cloth A cloth of cotton or linen 

warp with a filling of long horse hair. 
Used for stiffening of garments; and in 
upholstery. 

Hair- Line. — A fine line of contrasting 
color, white, or black, running length- 
wise of the cloth, either printed or 
woven. 

Hair Net. — A fine, almost invisible, net 
of silk thread used to hold the hair in 
place; formerly very fashionable. 

Halr-Pin. — A double, or U-shaped, pin of 
metal, bone, or other stiff material, used 
to hold the hair in desired position. 

Hamburg. — A kind of cotton embroidery 
worked on cambric, used as an edging 
or trimming. Sometimes applied to any 
cotton embroidery. 

Hammer Cloth. — The cloth which skirts 
the driver's seat of a coach. 

Hank. — A skein of thread. Two or more 
skeins of yarn fastened together into a 
bundle. 

Harlequin Check (har'le-kwin). — Made up 
of several colors like the dress of a 
harlequin. 

Harvard Shirting. — A twilled colored 
shirting, sometimes figured. 

Haslock (has'lock). — The finest wool of 
the fleece, which grows on the sheep's 
throat. A Scotch term. 

Hassock. — A thick, hard cushion used as 
a footstool, usually covered with carpet. 

Haute Nouveaute (hote nov-vo-tay')- — A 
French expression meaning high novelty 
and attached by manufacturers to al- 
most everything, especially in jewelry, 
trimmings, buttons and ornamental 
articles. 

Havelock (hav'lock). — A washable head 
covering made of light cotton with a 
cape or neck-piece attached to protect 
the back of the head and neck in hot 
countries; usually worn over a cap. 

Heading. — The inner edge of lace by 
which it is sewn to the garment. 

Helix. — One method of finishing the eye 
of a needle, bv stringing on a curved 
wire, or helix, and giving a motion that 
causes the needle of revolve. 

Hemp. — An herb of the nettle family, 
the inner bark of whose stalk provides 
the fiber which is used to make cord- 
age. The name applies to the fiber as 
well as the plant. 



Hemstitch. — The ornamental inner edge 

of a hem produced by drawing out a 

few threads and drawing the cross 

threads together in groups. 
Henrietta. — A fine wool or silk and wool 

dress goods, woven in round twill face. 

Practically a finely finished cashmere. 
Hernanl ^her-nah'ni). — A thin light silk 

grading between grenadine and gauze. 

Originally a grenadine of square mesh 

made of silk and wool. 

Herringbone. — An alternating twill ef- 
fect in weaving -which presents a zig- 
zag appearance across the cloth and a 
series of stripes resembling the back- 
bone of a herring when viewed length- 
wise. In sewing, a union of diagonal 
stitches giving the herring-bone ap- 
pearance. See Knit Goods Terms. 

Hessian. — A coarse bagging made of 
hemp or hemp and jute; also applied 
to burlaps. 

Hickory Shirting. — A heavy cotton goods 
of three-quarter width belonging to the 
osnaburg class and made in blue and 
white and brown and white small 
checks and narrow stripes. 

Holland. — A closely-woven linen cleth 
made in Holland. A plain, wide linen 
cloth, little bleached, is known as brown 
Holland. A glazed or opaque cotton 
or linen cloth used for window shades. 

Hollow-Cut Cord. — A pile material woven 
with a plain surface, on which the cord 
finish is cut out with a knife. 

Homespun. — Any cloth manufactured at 
home in distinction from factory or 
mill-made; also applied to machine- 
made fabrics having the appearance of 
hand-made. 

Honeycomb. — Depressions produced in 
weaving which give the surface of the 
cloth a honeycomb effect. 

Hood. — A head-covering fitting closely 
and reaching low in the neck, designed 
to cover the ears and act as a protec- 
tion from weather. 

Hook and Eye. — A metallic combination 
fastening for garments, consisting of a 
hook of metal attached to one edge 
and a loop of the same material at- 
tached to the other edge. 

Hoopskirt. — A framework petticoat of 
large circumference made of hoops of 
steel wire or similar flexible material 
to be worn for the purpose of distend- 
ing the dress skirts. Also called Crino- 
line. First used about 1600 and of fre- 
quent appearance since. 



23 



THE DRYGOODSMAN'S HANDY DICTIONARY. 



Hop-Sacking. — A coarse bagging for 
packing hops. A dress goods of heavy 
thread and rather loose weave in in- 
tended imitation of the coarse sacking. 

Hose. — Knitted coverings for the feet 
and lower part of the legs. Stockings. 
See Knit Goods Terms. 

Hose Supporters. — A device that has 
superseded the round garter in sup- 
porting hose, consisting of a waisit 
belt with a strap reaching down each 
leg to which is attached a fastener to 
grasp the top of the hose. 

Hosier (hoh'zher). — A dealer in hose or 
other knit goods. 

Hosiery. — The wares dealt in by a hosier. 

Hospital Sheeting. — See Sheeting. 

Household Linens. — A term applied to 
all linen goods or substitutes used in 
housekeeping. 

Huckaback. — A toweling of linen or cot- 
ton woven with a rough honeycomb 
face of varying fineness. Commonly 
known as huck. 

Hungarian. — A bright colored embroi- 
dery which was originally made in 
Hungary. Very similar to Bulgarian 
embroidery. 

I. 

Ice Wool. — A slack-twisted soft yarn of 
Email size, having an extremely glossy, 
or iced, finish. 

Illusion. — A very delicate silk net classed 
with tulle and used for veilings, 
women's neckwear and millinery. 

Imprlme (im-prime). — From the Latin 
verb meaning "to print" and applied to 
any goods with printed designs. 

Incise. — An effect produced by cutting 
out designs in a dress material and plac- 
ing silk or some other fabric under- 
neath it, the edges of the upper ma- 
terial being sewed down. In inverted 
applique. 

Incroyable (ang-krwah-yan'bl). — A style 
of dress modeled after that of dandies 
in the time of the French revolution. 

India Linon. — A fine cotton lawn of light 
weight finished with only enough sizing 
»o give slight stiffness; usually bleached 
but sometimes in black and colors. 

Indian Mallow. — The common mallow of 
the field and gardens which has been 
cultivated to a limited extent and made 
to produce a fiber suitable for cordage. 

India Shawl.— See Cashmere Shawl. 



Indigo. — A blue dye stuff obtained by de- 
composition from the indigo plant. 
Name also applied to goods dyed from in- 
digo, as indigo calico, indigo shirting. 

Ingrain. — Dyed in the yarn or fiber be- 
fore weaving, or dyed with a grain or 
permanent color. 

Insertion. — Lace or embroidery made with 
both edges alike used to insert between 
strips of plain fabric, allover lace or in- 
sertion, or between the garment and 
the heading of a lace edge. 

Interlining. — Anything placed between 
layers of cloth for the purpose of pad- 
ding or stiffening; usually of cotton or 
linen woven and finished for the pur- 
pose. 

Inverted Pleat. — A term used in tailor- 
ing. Two pleats turned inward and to- 
ward each other. Commonly used to 
finish the back of a skirt. 

Invoice. — A list of merchandise shipped 
or delivered, accounting the items, their 
prices and the totals. 

Iridescent (ir-i-des'ent). — A changing or 
shimmering color effect resulting from 
the use of warp and filling of different 
shades or colors. Changeant. Chine. 

Irish Linen. — a plain, fine-threaded lin- 
en in white, slightly sized and used 
principally in shirt manufacturing for 
fronts and curfs. 

Istle. — A stiff fiber obtained from agave 
plants; used for brushes and weaving 
into cheap "hair cloth." 

Italian Cloth. — A light, glossy twilled 
cloth composed of cotton or cotton and 
wool. Used for linings. 

Ivory Nut. — The seed of a Venezuelan 
palm. Thoroughly dried and ready for 
use it resembles ivory in grain and ap- 
pearance. Used extensively for but- 
tons because of hardness and susceptibil- 
ity to dye. 

J. 

Jabot (zha-bo')- — A frill of lace, or any 
soft material fastened at the neck and 
hanging down the front of the waist. 
Formerly a ruffle on a shirt bosom. 

Jacket. — A short coat or any outside gar- 
ment for the upper part of the body, 
made with sleeves and seldom reaching 
below the hips. 

Jack Towel. — A roller towel. 

Jaconet (jack'o-net). — A light, soft white 
plain cotton goods gauging between cam- 
bric and lawn. A cotton goods with one 
side glazed; usually dyed. 



THE DRYGOODSMAN'S HANDY DICTIONARY. 



29 



Jacquard (zhac-car or ja-kard'). — Ap- 
plied lo materials woven on jacquard 
looms which automatically select or 
move the warp threads to form the de- 
signs. See Knit Goods Terms. 

Jamdani (jam-dah'ny). — A figured or 
flowered Indian muslin. 

Jamewar (jam'e-wahr). — A cashmere 
shawl with colored designs. 

Jane. — A front of false hair. 

Janus Cloth. — A plain worsted fabric of 
different color on each face or two-faced 
like the god Janus. 

Janus Cord. — A double-face cotton and 
woolen rep. 

Japanese Silk. — Generally, any silk im- 
ported from Japan. 

Jardiniere (zhar-de-nay'er). — D e s I g n s 
after the style of a flower garden, con- 
taining many figures and colors. A 
pendant attached to women's head dress 
in the ISth century. 

Jaspe (zhasp). — Veined, mottled, or 
clouded to represent jasper. 

Jean (jane). — A heavy twilled cotton or 
cotton and wool goods used for men's 
clothing. A heavy fine-twilled, smooth- 
finish cotton goods also known as Satin 
Jean. An all-cotton twilled cloth in 
white, plain colors and stripes known 
as Corset Jean and also as Urilling, 
formerly much used for waist linings. 

Jeanette (je-nef). — A coarse jean, used 
for lining. 

Jersey. — A tight-fitting jacket made of 
jersey cloth. An outside, seamless knit 
shirt of wool worn by sailors and 
athletes; the ordinary sweater — same as 
Guernsey. A very fine woolen yarn, or 
very fine wool. 

Jersey Cloth. — Stockinet knitted of wool, 
or wool mixed with cotton or silk. 

Jersey Flannel. — An elastic woolen flan- 
nel napped on one side. 

Jersey Waist. — A waist made of light- 
weight jersey cloth, sometimes elabor- 
ately braided. 

Jet. — A black lignite, light weight but 
very hard and susceptible of high pol- 
ish. 

Jobber. — A merchant who deals in goods 
which he purchases in large quantities 
and sells to retailers in small quantities 
at wnoiesale prices. 

Job Lot. — A quantity of merchandise of- 
fered at a price below prevailing mar- 



ket. Usually goods desired to be closed 
out rapidly for particular reasons. Jobs. 

Jumbo Braid. — A coarse straw braid of 
very large plaited weave and finished 
with a shiny surface. 

Jumper. — A loose outer jacket made of 
heavy cotton goods reaching slightly be- 
low the hips, worn by farmers and labor- 
ers. 

Jumper Suit. — A dress having a waist of 
peculiar style. 

Jupon. — A short petticoat. Applied to 
double and triple skirts; the upper skirt 
is the jupon. A dress goods of plain 
weave with cotton warp and wool filling. 

Jute. — A strong, coarse fiber, obtained 
from an Asiatic plant, and used largely 
in manufactures where strength is re- 
quired. 

K. 

Kaiki (ki-ki). — A Japanese wash silk a 
little heavier than habutai. 

Kamptulicon (kamp-tu'li-con).— A floor 
covering, decorated or plain, composed 
of a canvas back to which is attached by 
heavy pressure a compound of rubber, 
linseed oil, cork dust and other wear-re- 
sisting substances which have first been 
thoroughly mixed together. Known also 
as Cork Carpet. 

Kapok (ka-pok').— The cotton-like or 
silky fiber covering the seeds of a tree 
belonging to the silk-cotton family found 
In the East and West Indies. Used for 
stuffing pillows, cushions, mattresses and 
similar articles. Silk floss. 

Kemp. — Knots and coarse hairs in fur 
and wool. 

Kerchief. — A cloth to cover the head. 

Any square of cloth, folded and worn 

over the shoulders, usually in triangular 
shape; not so large as fichu. 

Kersey (ker'zy). — A light-weight, woolen 
cloth similar to beaver cloth with a 
smooth surface and very short nap. 

Kerseymere. — A name sometimes given 
in England to cassimere, from Kersey, 
the place of manufacture. 

Kerseynette. — See Cassinette. 

Khaki (kah'ki). — A twilled cotton goods 
dyed yellowish tan, rendered unshrink- 
able by treatment, specially finished for 
hard wear and used for military uni- 
forms. Khaki is an East Indian word 
meaning clay color. 

Kid Glove.— Se^ Gloves. 



30 



THE DRTGOODSMAN'S HANDY DICTIONARY. 



Kilt — A separate pleated, skirt-like gar- 
ment worn by Scotch Highlanders, 
reaching from the waist line to the 
knees, made of clan-tartan. A deeply 
pleated child's skirt. A filibeg. A gar- 
ment deeply pleated is said to be kilted. 

Kincob (kin'cob). — A rich figured silk, or 
silk and cotton cloth interwoven with 
gold and silver threads, of East Indian 
manufacture. 

Kneipp (nipe) Linen. — A knitted linen 
material used for underwear. 

Knickerbocker (nick'er-bock'er). — A n y 
rough-surface cloth on which appear 
knots, or small bunches of yarn firmly 
fixed in the fabric. Breeches reaching 
only to the knee. 

Knife Pleating, — Similar to accordeon 
pleating, only the knives used for the 
pleating process are smaller and pleats 
are closer together. 

Knitting. — The forming of fabrics by a 
series of interlocked loops made of a 
single continuous thread, either by hand 
with straight needles or on machines 
with hooked needles. 

KNIT GOODS TERMS. 

Balbriggan. — Named for the town Bal- 
briggan, Ireland, in 1845. Was first ap- 
plied to full-fashioned hosiery made 
from unbleached cotton. About 1S60 the 
name was applied to knit underwear of 
the same material. Originally it was 
used only on high-class goods, but it 
now covers everything in light-weight 
flat underwear made of yarn stained to 
the shade of Egyptian cotton. 

Bicycle Stocking. — Long hose knit plain, 
ribbed, or in fancy designs, of heavy 
yarns for wear with knee breeches while 
riding bicycle. Golf Hose. 

Cashmere.— Means goods made of fine 
worsted yarn spun from very fine, soft 
wools. Sold in white and black. 

Collarette.-^A wide, knitted neckband, 
used on men's undershirts in lieu of 
binding. 

Corduroy. — Commonly known as two- 
and-two rib, or two ribs alternating on 
face and back of children's stockings. 

Cut Goods. — Underwear made of either 
ribbed or fiat webbing knitted into long 
rolls and cut to the proper lengths and 
sections for garments, after which the 
various parts are sewed together. 

Derby Rib. — Applied to hosiery having 
six ribs on the face alternating with 
three on the back. 



Double Sole, Heel and Toe. — Means an 
extra thread added to hosiery at points 
mentioned. Strictly speaking "double" 
applies only to single thread goods. 

English Foot. — A stocking having two 
seams in the foot, one on each side of 
the sole. 

Equestrienne Tights. — A tight-fitting 
knitted drawer for women's use, made 
of ribbed cloth, either with or without 
feet. 

Extracted. — Fancy hosiery on which wax 
has been applied before dyeing to form 
the fancy design or pattern. After plac- 
ing in cold dye they are washed in hot 
water to remove the wax, leaving the 
pattern in the natural color. 

Flat Underwear. — Undergarments knitted 
in plain stitch, as distinguished from 
ribbed goods. 

Fleece-lined. — Heavy-weight undergar- 
ments knitted with three threads — face 
yarn, backing yarn and a third yarn ty- 
ing the back and face together. The 
heavy nap or fleece is produced by run- 
ning the cloth over wire "brushes. 

(NOTE.— The term fleece-lined is often 
misapplied to ordinary single-thread un- 
derwear which has been run through the 
brushing machine for the purpose of 
raising a light nap on the inner surface.) 

French Foot. — Stockings so-called be- 
cause they differ from the English foot 
in that they have only one seam and 
that in the center of the sole. 

Full-fashioned. — Underwear or hosiery 
finished with fiat seams having selvage 
edges throughout and knit in flat, separ- 
ate sections upon machines which auto- 
matically drop the requisite number of 
stitches at various points to make the 
garments conform to the natural shape 
of the leg, foot or body. The sizes are 
indicated by stitches dropped in knit- 
ting. 

Full Regular (sometimes called looped). — 
Hosiery or underwear in which the seams 
have been connected by hand knitting. 

Gauge. — Applied to the number of meshes 
or wales to the inch in underwear or 
hosiery. For example, a 16-gauge fa- 
bric will have 16 wales or ribs to the 
inch. 

Gauze. — Meaning very thin and sheer. 
Golf Hose. — Heavy hose of fancy 'designs 

worn with knee breeches on the golf 

links. Bicycle Stockings. 



■nil-: dryguodsman's handy dk'tionary. 



31 



Herringbone.— The name of a binding 
often used in facing the neck and front 
opening of the undershirts, so called be- 
rause of its resemblance to the back- 
bone of a herring. Applied to hosiery 
it refers to the stitching, which is made 
to cover the edge of the split sole. 

Hose.— A term applied to women's or 
children's stockings. The term half- 
hose is used on goods for men's wear. 
Half-hose are also Socks. 

Ingrain. — Raw material or yarn, dyed be- 
fore knitting. See general definitions. 

Jacquard (jack-ard'). — Hosiery in fancy 
patterns of two or more colors made on 
machines moving automatically with 
separate threads working independently 
of each other, forming combinations not 
possible on ordinary knitting machinery. 

Lisle Thread. — Used in the manufacture 
of hosiery or underwear and so called 
because made of a long, staple cotton, 
combed and hard-twisted, after which 
it is gassed or run through a flame to 
burn off the peach-like fuzz always to 
be seen on other yarns made from cot- 
ton. See general definitions. 

Maco (mah-ko). — Hosiery or underwear 
made from Egyptian undyed cotton. 
The name is derived from an Egyptian 
cotton planter who was called Maco- 
Bey. See general definitions. 

Maco Foot. — Hosiery foot composed wholly 
of unbleached yarn, while the leg is of 
black or color. 

Mercerized. — Underwear or hosiery made 
from cotton yarn which has been treated 
with caustic soda and sulphuric acid, 
and when knitted produces a fabric of 
added weight, imparting a silk-like 
luster. See Mercerizing. 

Merino. — Hosiery or underwear made of 
part cotton anu part wool mixed to- 
gether. (NOTE. — The word merino on a 
box label is often misleading, as fre- 
quently goods so called are composed 
wholly of cotton.) See general definitions. 

Mesh Underwear. — All knit underwear 
cloth is mesh in varying degree, but 
the common application of the term 
means a woven or knitted fabric hav- 
ing a r.=i-like appearance. See general 
definitions. 

Mock Seam. — Stockings made with cut 
leg and fashioned foot. 

Normal. — The natural gray mixture in 
hosiery and underwear. 

Opera Hose. — Women's stockings of ex- 
tra length, ordinarily measuring 34 in- 
ches. 



Outsize. — Women's stockings made in ex- 
tra widths. 

Oxford. — A dark pepper and salt mixture 
of yarns in which the dark color pre- 
domlnates, usually of black and white 
or brown and white in a proportion 
properly of 90 and 10. 

Plated. — Hosiery or underwear having 
the face of one material and the back 
of another; for instance, a garment hav- 
ing a silk or wool face and cotton l^ack 
is called plated. The face may also be 
of one color and the back of another. 
both of the same material. See general 
definitions. 

Printed. — Low grade fancy stockings on 
which the design is placed by a print- 
ing process are called printed hosiery. 
See general definitions. 

Ramie. — A long staple, pure-white, silk- 
like, vegetable fiber of great strength 
and gradually coming into use in the 
manufacture of knit goods. See gen- 
eral definitions. 

Rembrandt Rib. — Women's stockings hav- 
ing groups of rive drop-stitches, separ- 
ated by one inch of plain knitting run- 
ning the full length of the stocking. 

Richelieu Rib. — Women's plain stockings 
having a single drop-stitch at intervals 
of three-quarters of an inch running 
the full length of the stocking. 

Seamless. — Stockings knitted in one piece 
on a circular machine, leaving an open- 
ing at the toe to be looped together. 
The shaping of the leg, heel and toe 
is obtained by steaming and then dry- 
ing on boards of proper form. 

Split Foot. — Black or colored hosiery 
having a white or unbleached sole. 

Spun Silk. — A low grade of silk used in 
the cheaper lines of silk hosiery- It Is 
made from floss, injured cocoons, husks 
and waste from reeling. It bears the 
same relation to silk as cotton waste to 
cotton or shoddy to wool. 

Three-Quarter Hose. — Ribbed-top stock- 
ings made for children and reaching 
nearly to the knees. 

Trunk Length. — Women's hosiery mid- 
way between ordinary and opera length, 
and which is usually widened gradually 
above the knee. 

Twin Needle. — A double row of inter- 
locked machine stitching used for cov- 
ering raw edges and seams on knit un- 
derwear. 



32 



THE DRYGOODSMAN'S HANDY DICTIONARY. 



Union or Combination Suit. — Underwear 
combining the upper and nether gar- 
ment knitted in one piece. 

Welt. — The double thick portion or wide 
hem at the top of plain hose. 

Wrapper. — A child's undershirt buttoning 
down the front the full length. 



Knitting Cotton. — A soft, slack-twisted 
cotton yarn usually marketed in balls 
and running through the regular yarn 
sizes, used principally in hand knitting. 

Knitting Needle. — A straight, polished 
needle of steel or any stiff material, 
finished with smooth blunt ends, used 
for hand knitting. Two are used for 
flat work and four for stockings or cir- 
cular work. 

Knitting Silk. — A slack-twisted yarn or 
heavy thread made of silk fiber, in- 
tended for hand knitting and some 
classes of embroidery. 

L. 

Lace. — A cord or string used in beading 
in- decorating. A cord or string used as 
a binder or fastener, as a shoe lace, a 
corset lace. 

Lace. — A delicate open network formed 
of fine threads of any fiber or metal, 
usually ornamented by woven-in designs 
or appliqued figures. 

TERMS USED IN LACE MAKING. 

(NOTE: — The following words and 

terms are more or less commonly used 

in descriptions of lace and are here 

separately defined that they may be of 

ready access.) 

Bars. — Connecting threads in needle-point 
and bobbin laces. Synonymous with 
Brides, Coxcombs, Purls, Legs, Ties, etc. 

Bead Edge. — Same as Beading. 

Beading. — Narrow lace used to edge or 
join portions of garments. 

Bobbin. — Lace made on a pillow with 
threads wound on bobbins. Some pillow 
laces are made without bobbins. The 
bobbin threads are twisted and netted 
about pins stuck in the pillow to outline 
the pattern. Bobbin lace is softer, more 
delicate and more pliable than needle- 
point. 

Bone. — Bobbin lace so named on account 
of the small bones of animals and fishes 
used for bobbins. 

Bone Point. — Not a needle-point but a 
very fine quality of bobbin. 

P.uttonhole Stitch. — A stitch used in 
making needle-point. 



Cartifine tkar-ti-zan). — A strip of parch- 
ment covered with silk or metal thread, 
used in forming the lace pattern. 

Close Stitch. — Same as Buttonhole. 

Cordonnet (kor-do-nay). — The outline or 

edge of the pattern. 
Couronnes (koo-rones). — The ornai"cnts 

worked on the cordonnet. 

Coxcombs. — Same as Brides. 

Crowns. — Same as Couronnes. 

Cut Work.— A Honiton Stitch. 

Dentele (dan-tah-lay). — A border of scal- 
lops. 

Dentelle (den-tel). — French for lace. 
Previous to 1600 French laces were called 
passements. 

Engrelure (an-gray-loor). — Same as Foot- 
ing. 

Entoilage (en-tole-a.<re). — A plain net 
ground. 

Entredeaux (an- tray-do). — Insertion. 

Fil de Creu (krew). — A very heavy 
cordonnet. 

Fil de Trace (trah-say). — The outlines in 
needle-point laces. 

Filet (fee-lay). — Any lace having a re- 
seau of square mesh. 

Fillings. — Stitches used to fill, or com- 
plete, open spaces. 

Flat Points. — Laces without any padding 
or relief work on the patterns. 

Fleurs Volantes (fiewrs vo-lantsV — Orna- 
ments worked on the cordonnet. 

Fond. — Same as Entoilage. 

Fond Simple. — The most delicate of all 
meshes or grounds. 

Gimp. — A separate pattern held by 
brides; a thread used in making Honi- 
ton; an ornament of twisted threads. 

Gras Point (grahs). — Cross stitch. 

Gruppo. — A fastening or knot. 

Imitation. — Any lace which copies the 
design or construction of another; 
usually applied to machine laces as 
distinguished from hand-made. 

Lacet Point. — A Honiton stitch. 

Ladder Stitch. — Openwork simulating a 
ladder. 

Lead Works. — Stitches that fill vacant 
spaces in point or bobbin laces. 

Mat. — The very close work in any lace. 

Mechlin. — Refers to six-sided or circu- 
lar meshes. 



THE DRYGOODSMAN'S HANDY DICTIONARY. 



Mesh. — The open space in a net; the 
threads that bound the space. 

Mixed. — Any lace showing both bobbin 

and needle-point work. 
Modes. — Same as Fillings. 
Needle Point. — Worked by hand with 

needle and thread. See Point. 

Old Lace. — Applied to laces made en- 
tirely by hand before machines for 
such work were invented, about 1770. 

Open Braid. — A bobbin lace stitch. 

Pearls. — Same as Bars. 

Picots (pee-kos or pick-uts). — Infinitesi- 
mal loops on brides or other strands. 

Pillow. — Made on a pillow with bobbins 

and pins. 
Pinwork. — The small and fine raised parts 

of a design; particularly applicable to 

needle-point lace. 

Pizzo (pit-so). — Italian for lace. 
Plis. — French for folds. 

Point. — From the French, meaning stitch 
and in laces it means a very fine quality 
and may refer to bobbin or needle- 
point. 

Point de Chan (shan). — A net in which 
triangles and hexagons alternate. Point 
de Paris. 

Point de Lille (HI). — Same as Fond 

Simple. 

Point None (nohn). — Buttonhole stitch. 
Point Plat. — Any lace without a raised 

cordonnet. Flat Point. 
Punto. — A lace stitch, or point. 
Punto a Feston. — Italian for Buttonhole 

Stitch. 
Punto Serrato (say-rah-to). — Buttonhole 

Stitch. 
Punto Tagliato (tahg-lee-ah'to). — Cut 

Work. ^ 
Punto TiMto (tee-rah'to). — Drawn Work. 
Purls. — Same as Bars. 
Raccroc Stitch (ra-kro). — Used to join 

portions of lace grounds. 
Reseau (ray-zo). — A lace mesh; a lace 

stitch. 
Rezel (ray-zel.) —dame as Reseau. 

Rond Point. — Having a needle-made net 

ground. 

Rucroc (roo-kro). — Same as Raccroc. 
Shadow Stitch. — A ladder stitch some- 
times used in the openwork. 

Spines. — Long points attached to cordon- 
nets Thorns. 



Sprig. — A separate piece of lace pattern. 
Streak Stitch. — A stitch of hand work. 
Thorns, — Same as Spines. 
Ties. — Same as Bars. 

Toile (twahl). — The pattern separate from 
the ground. 
Treille (tray-ih). — A lace ground. 

LACES. 

(NOTE: — In compiling these definitions 
it has been the object to describe briefly 
all laces having distinctive characteristics 
and all having names applied because of 
the locality of manufacture. The des- 
criptions are nearly all in reference to 
hand-made productions and some of them 
have never been sold in stores, but the 
possibilities of the lace-making machine 
are almost without limit and these hand- 
made laces are imitated closely by ma- 
chine work; the descriptions hold good 
for the machine laces. Hand-made laces 
have always been principally of linen, 
with some done in silk; machine laces 
are largely done in cotton. 

Some lace t uthorities make distinct 
classifications of laces, but all do not 
agree as to the proper places of certain 
laces and for that reason all are here 
arranged alphabetically and their classi- 
fication marked as it appears to be cor- 
rect. Many Point laces will be found 
listed under the prefix "Point". 

The division sometimes made into five 
classes is: 

(1) — Pillow lace entirely made by hand, 
of the Valenciennes type, that made with 
the crochet needle, as Guipure, and silk 
lace like Chantilly. 

(2) — Applique lace, the ground being ma- 
chine-made and the ornament being 
hand-made, like Brussels and Honiton. 

(3) — Plain net laces like tulle, blonde and 
malines. 

(4) — The reseau being machine-made and 
the pattern partly hand-made and partly 
machine-made, like some styles of 
darned lace. 

(5) — That made entirely by machine, of 
whatever class. 

AUover. — Wide laces of any style in 
which the pattern does not monopolize 
the width or have an edge but is often 
repeated. Used for cutting-up. 

Aloe. — Made of the fiber of the aloe 
plant. Known also as Toile de Ar- 
aigner. 



34 



THE DRYCOODSMAN'S HANDY DICTIONARY. 



Alost. — Bobbin. A variety of Valenci- 
ennes. 

Angleterre (an-gleh-tage). — See English 
Point. 

Antique (an-teek). — Applied to laces of 
coarse or open pattern supposed to 
imitate ancient productions. 

Antwerp. — Bobbin. A variety of Fland- 
ers lace v-y similar to Mechlin, made 
either on a ground or as separate de- 
signs attached by brides. Once made 
in elaborate religious designs but now 
nothing is used to those designs ex- 
cepting the vase, or "pot'', which or- 
iginally held flowers. Potten Kant. 
Pot Lace. 

Applique (ap-li-kay'). — Lace made by 
attaching or applying designs upon sep- 
arately constructed grounds. Also called 
Point Applique and Fedora. 

Argentan (ar-jen-tan')- — Needle-point. 

Similar to Point de Alencon and easily 
confounded with it, but it contains 
fewer brides and has a larger and some- 
what bolder pattern. 

Argentella (ar-jen-tel'Iah). — Needle-point. 
An Italian lace similar to the French 
Alencon and Arsrentan but having a 
flat cordonnet; very small designs on 
a net ground. 

Arras (ahr-rahs'). — Bobbin. Made in Ar- 
ras, France. Originally of heavy 
threads but later of finer texture. 
Pure white and in few designs. Simi- 
lar to Lille, but not as fine. 

Aurillac (oh-reel-yahk'). — Bobbin. Of 
French manufacture and similar in de- 
sign and workmanship to English 
Point, but not as fine. 

Austrian. — Bobbin. Modern lace made 
in indeterminate designs after Italian 
patterns. 

Auvergne (oh-varn'). — Laces made in the 
province of Auvergne, France; may be 
point, bobbin, or any variety imitated 
in that province. 

Ave Maria (ah-ve mah-ree'ah). — Valen- 
ciennes bobbin having a plaited ground 
made at Dieppe, France. 

Baby. — English Lille. See Buckingham- 
shire. 

Bath Brussels. — A broad Honiton. 

Battenberg. — Modern needle-point made 
with narrow braid and thread. See 
Modern Point. Also classed as Renais- 
sance, which see. 

Bayeaux (bay-oh). — Bobbin. Closely re- 
sembling Chantilly and sometimes in- 



distinguishable from it. The ground 
is of one weight of silk and the pattern 
another. Large pieces are made in 
sections and joined together by rac- 
croc stitch. 

Bedfordshire. — Bobbin. Similar to Lille; 
sometimes called English Lille. Made 
of cotton or cotton and linen in geo- 
metrical designs. 

Beggars. — Name once given to coarse 
French Torchon pillow li.ce. 

Belgian. — Laces of other countries re- 
produced in Belgium excepting Fland- 
ers Point. Noted for being there pro- 
duced at a cheaper price than the orig- 
inals. Grammont, Mechlin, Binche, 
Flanders, Antwerp, Louvain and others 
come under Belgian laces. 

Binche (binsh). — Bobbin-made, flat 
sprigs are applied on machine-made 
net. Origiially grounds were of spider- 
web or rosette patterns and closely re- 
sembled ancient Valenciennes. 

Bisette (bi-zayf). — Bobbin. Coarse and 
narrow, made in three qualities; used 
principally for ornamenting caps, borne- 
times contains metal threads. 

Blandford. — Bobbin. Made in Bland- 
ford, England, and said to have been 
exceptionally fine. 

Blonde de Caen (blond de kan.) — Bobbin. 
Originally of fine linen but later of 
natural cream silk, then made in cream 
tints, white and black. Cf both coarse 
and fine mesh of the blonde class. 

Blonde de Fil.— Same as Mignonette. 

Blonde Net. — Bobbin. Very fine net 
with heavy pattern. The reseau is silk 
and the pattern is laid or worked in a 
glistening flat thread. The gloss makes 
it very attractive. Of French and 
Spanish manufacture. 

Bourdon (boor-davn').— A macMne- em- 
broidered net, in flowing desiBbs. 

Border. — Any narrow edging having a 
footing on one side. Same as Edging. 

Brabancon (bra-bon-son). — See Brussels. 

Brazil. — Bobbin. Coarse, of cotton thread, 
somewhat in the style of Valenciennes 
and Torchon but of lesser durability. 

Bretonne (bre-ton). — A narrow edging. 

Bridal. — An old English lace said to have 
been made of blue threads and worn 
at weddings by guests. 

Bride. — Lace having no ground but with 
the patterns connected by lace. Bone 
point lace. 



THE DRYGOODSMAN'S HANDY DICTIONARY. 



35 



Broad. — A heavy wool lace, or embroid- 
ery, made in bands and used for up- 
holstering in carriages and railway cars. 

Broderie de Mallnes (bro-dri de mah-lin). 
— See Mechlin. 

Broderie de Nancy (nahn-see). — A style 
nt drawn work in which colored threads, 
and sometimes embroidery, are em- 
ployed. 

Bruges (brew-jes or brewzh). — Bobbin. 
Fine lace after the Honiton style with 
the designs attached by brides. Same 
as Guipure de Bruges and Duchesse 
Point. 

Brussels- — May be needle-point or bob- 
bin. Brussels Point shows an open 
pattern made partly in open and partly 
in closed stitch, giving the appearance 
of shading and is also called Point V- 
Aiguille and Point Gaze. Brussels 
bobbin shows the patterns joined to- 
gether by little loops on their edges and 
is also called Point Plat, or Flat point. 
Brussels thread is very fine linen. 
Brussels lace is also known as Bra- 
bancon. 

Brussels Net. — .plain net made originally 
in Brussels but now made in all lace 
centers. 

Buckisghamshire. — Bobbin. Very clear 
ground similar to Lille. Reseau and 
design are both worked with the bob- 
bins. Baby lace is narrow Bucking- 
hamshire. 

Bullion (bull -yon). —Made of gold and 
silver wires. Heavy is Bullion; light is 
Frisure; flat is Clinquant; and all are 
called Canatelle. 

Bunt. — Bobbin. A Scotch peasant lace 
of coarse quality. Sometimes also called 
Hamilton. 

Burano (boo-rah-no). — Needle-point. Very 
fine thread on reseau somewhat re- 
sembling Alencon and Brussels. Made 
on the island of Burano, off Italy. 

Campane (kahn-pan). — Bobbin. An an- 
cient narrow edging of great beauty 
used largely as an auxiliary to wider 
laces. 

Cauntelle (kawn-teel). — See Bullion. 

Carnival. — Needle-point. No different 
than other reticella laces, to which class 
it belongs, excepting in the designs which 
were made especially for the people who 
ordered the lace. 

Carrickmacross. — Irish lace. Of two 
classes: Applique worked on a ma- 
chine net; Guipure worked upon fine 



cambric and the cloth between the de- 
signs cut away — not really a lace. 

i 'au! (kawl). — An ancient name for net- 
ting. 

Ceylon. — Cheap pillow lace made by na- 
tives of Ceylon. 

Chantilly (chahn-teel-lyee'). — Bobbin. 
Made of silk or of linen; often a com- 
bination of the two. Cheap imitation 
is also made in cotton. It has the style 
of blonde net, to which class it really be- 
longs—the flat thread being a distin- 
guishing feature. Black Chantilly is one 
of the greatest laces of commerce and 
its application in dress is almost un- 
limited. 

Chenille (sheh-nee-yah or sheh-neel). — 
Needle-point. The pattern is worked in 
white silk chenille on a silk net ground, 
usually honeycomb. 

Chiffon (shif-on or sheef-awn). — Chiffon 
ground embroidered in figures with silk 
thread. 

Chioggia (kee-od-jah). — Bobbin. Close in 
resemblance to certain old Flemish laces. 
Made in Chioggia, Italy. 

Church. — Needle-point. Worked on a 
coarse ground in buttonhole stitch in 
religious designs and used almost en- 
tirely for church decorations. 

Cinq Trous (sin troos). — Needle-point. A 
variety of Le Puy worked on a netting 
of five sided mesh. 

Clinquant (klin-kan.)— See Bullion. 

Cluny (klewnee.) — The ancient lace was 
of the darned kind and its origin is 
said to be unknown. The modern Cluny 
is a coarse, heavy bobbin, usually laid 
in geometrical figures. 

Colbertan (cole-bare-tan ).— A cheap net 
lace of coarse open pattern. 

Coralline (ko-rah-lin).— A point lace 
whose characteristic is coral-like branch- 
ings from the design. 

Corfu (kor-few). — A Greek peasant lace 
of small value. 

Cork. — Word sometimes used to desig- 
nate any or all Irish laces. 

Cotton. — Any lace made of cotton. 

Courtrai (kur-tray). — Bobbin. A wide 
lace resembling Valenciennes in de- 
sign. 

Craponne (kray-pon).— Heavy-threaded 
Guipure. Used for decorating furni- 
ture. 

Crete (kreet). — A Greek lace resembling 
Torchon, in which colored threads are 
used. 



36 



THE DRYGOODSMAN'S HANDY DICTIONARY. 



Creva (kray-vah). — A style of Russian 
drawnwork. 

Crochet (kro-shay). — Any point lace 
produced by using a crochet hook. 

Curragh (koor-rah'). — Irish Point. 
Cutwork. — Designs buttonholed on cloth 

and the unnecessary fabric cut away. 

The pattern is joined together and 

held by brides. Has almost unlimited 

application. 

Cyprus. — A coarse thread lace made by 
the peasants of Cyprus. 

Delecarlian (del-e-karl-yan). — Bobbin. Of 
ancient design and workmanship, made 
in small quantities by peasants of 
Sweden. 

Danish. — Bobbin. Resembles Mechlin 

and Flemish laces. 
Darned Netting, or Lace. — Designs 

worked upon a netting ground with a 

thread which is handled as in darning. 
Dentelle a la Reine (den-tel a la-ran). — 

A French needle-point. 

Dentelle a la Vierge (vayrj). — A Nor- 
mandy bobbin. 

Dentelle au Fuseau (dan-tel au foo-zo). 
— French for Bobbin Lace. 

Dentelle de Fil. — French for thread laces. 

Dentelle Irlandaise (irlandaiz.) — Irish 
Point. See Modern Point. 

Dentelle Redin. — Any lace having a net 
ground. 

Dentelle Renaissance. — Laces of the Re- 
naissance. See Modern Point. 

Devonia. — A variety of Honiton. 

Devonshire. — Laces made in Devonshire, 

England, at one time a lace center. 

making many varieties of bobbin and 

needle-point. 

Dieppe (dee-ep). — Bobbin. Similar to 
Valenciennes. The laces of the pres- 
ent day for export are of pure linen 
and have distinguishing patterns. 

Dorsetshire.— Bobbin. A fine lace made 
in Dorsetshire, England. 

Dunkirk. — One of the varieties of Mech- 
lin. 

Dutch. — Coarse linen laces little in- 
tended for ornamentation. 

Duchesse (doo-shes). — See Bruges. 

Edgings. Narrow trimming laces. 

English Iville. — Bobbin. Made in imi- 
tation of or after the style of Lille 
laces. See Arras, Bedfordshire and 
Baby. 



English Point. — Also known as Point 
de Angleterre. Said by experts to be 
one of the most perfect of laces. The 
toile is made first and then the res- 
eau is worked about the figures by the 
bobbins. Sometimes needle-point work 
is added. 

Escurial (es-koo-ree-al). — Made with pat- 
terns having heavy cordonnet and con- 
necting brides in imitation of Venetian 
Point. Of silk thread. 

Bternelle (e-ter-nel). — A very strong 
Saxony Torchon. See Saxony. 

Everlasting. — Heavy, narrow, machine- 
made cotton lace with very slight pat- 
tern used where severe wear is expected. 

Fayal (ri-al). — An aloe-fiber lace made 
on the island of Fayal. 

Fedora (fay-do'rah). — See Applique. 

Filet Erode a Reprises (fill-ay bro-day 
ah re-preez-es.) — French for Darned 
Netting. 

Filet de Canasier (kan-ah-say). — French 
for Macrame. 

Fil Tire (feel tire). — French for Drawn- 
work. 

Fino de Erbe Spada (fee-no day er-bay 
spah-dah). — Aloe lace. 

Fisherman's. — Same as Point Pecheur. 

Flanders. — All laces of Flemish manu- 
facture under which head come the 
finest and best of point laces of the 
bobbin production. 

Flat Point. — See Brussels. 

Flemish Point. — See Flanders. 

Florentine (flor-en-teen). — Italian laces 
made at Florence. They have the com- 
mon characteristics of Italian laces. 

Footing. — A narrow edging for first sew- 
ing to a garment to which the lace 
proper is to be attached. A narrow in- 
sertion of Brussels net. Same as Head- 
ing. 

French. — Properly, all laces of French 
manufacture, but often extended decep- 
tively to any noteworthy product of- 
fered to people unfamiliar with laces. 

Frisure (fri-zoor). — See Bullion. 

Frivolite (friv-o-li-tay). — French for Tat- 
ting. 

Genoa (jen'o-ah). — Includes ancient bob- 
bin and metal laces; also a so-called 
Macrame lace made by knotting thread 
into intricate designs. The principal 
modern Genoa lace is a Guipure. A 
style of Aloe lace. 



THE DRYGOODSMA.VS HANDY DICTIONARY. 



37 



German. — All German laces whether of 
original designs or imitations of pro- 
ductions of foreign lace centers. Nur- 
emberg, Saxony, Torchon, etc., come 
under this general head. 

Ghent (gent). — Bobbin. Valenciennes of 
narrow width and lighter construction 
than French goods. 

Gold. — Made of gold wire or thread, or 
imitation of such, or of fiber, cord or 
thread covered with the metal. 

Grammont (gram-mawn). — Bobbin. Coarse 
in quality. A silk similar to Chantilly 
blonde used for flounces and shawls and 
often sold as genuine Chantilly. 

Greek Point. — Needle-point. Originally 
of Grecian manufacture. Formerly 
made with metal threads but now of 
flax threads only. Known also as Ro- 
man lace, Reticella, Venetian Guipure, 
Zante. 

Gueuese (jewz). — Same as Beggars. 

Guipure (geh-pewr). — Both bobbin and 
neede-point. Originally a metal thread 
lace nearly always of gold or silver. 
Also a gimp made of cartisane covered 
with silk thread. The name is applied 
to all laces having large patterns and 
coarse, open grounds not filled with 
brides or other delicate work. Under 
this head come: Cluny G. — Of geomet- 
rical design or conventional figure; 
Filet G. — Darned lace, or netting; Re- 
naissance G. — Any lace of the renais- 
sance styles; Spanish G. — Sometimes 
applied erroneously to Honiton and 
Irish Crochet as well as to many Span- 
ish laces; Tape G. — The design laid in 
with flat cordonnet; Honiton G. — Some- 
times applied to open patterns of Mal- 
tese and coarse Venice; Venetian G. — 
Greek Point. 

Guipure d' Arte. — Darned lace. 

Guipure de Flanders. — Bobbin figures 
connected with brides; so-named to dis- 
tinguish from Flanders needle-point 
lace. 

Guipure, Medieval. — Same as Knotted 
lace and Macrame lace. 

Hainault (hay-no). — Same as Binche. 

Hamburg Point. — A gold and silver Ger- 
man point 

Hand Embroidered. — Plauen net orna- 
mented with embroidered figures. 

Hamilton. — See Bunt. 
Heading. — See Footing. 



Holesom. — Swedish lace. 

Holy. — An ancient darned lace originally 
made for church use. 

Honiton Applique. — Bobbin-made sprays 
and other designs applied i" a net 
ground which may be bobbin, needle- 
polnt, Hi- machine. Modern Honiton is 
pillow-made toile applied to machine 
reseau. 

Honiton Braid. — A narrow, machine- 
made, open, lace-like braid. 

Honiton Crochet. — Irish Point made in 
imitation of Guipure patterns. 

Huguenot (hewg-no). — An applique of tine 
muslin figures on a net ground. 

Indian Point. — Drawn work. 

Insertion. — Lace with both edges fin- 
ished plain to admit of its being at- 
tached on both sides. 

Irish. — All Irish-made laces. 

Irish Crochet. — Needle-point of beautiful 
and distinctive patterns and style, made 
of pure white linen thread. See Honi- 
ton Crochet. 

Irish Point. — A net ground on which may 
be applied cut-work, embroidery, or 
pillow designs, or a combination of all. 
See Youghal. 

Italian. — Applied to all true Italian-made 
laces and falsely at times to other 
makes and imitations. 

Jesuit. — Irish Crochet in imitation of 
Venetian and Spanish designs. 

Knit. — Hand knitted on needles from 
spool linen or cotton; usually narrow. 

Knotted. — Made on a pillow, of threads 
or fine cords tied together and knotted 
by hand at intervals to form a design. 
The ends of the threads are sometimes 
left to form a pendant fringe. Known 
also as Punio a Groppo. 

Lacis (lah-see). — See Darned Netting. 

Lavoro a Groppi. — A fine network with 
the pattern in knots. 
Lavoro a Maglia. — Darned Netting. 

Le Puy (leh pwee). — Laces produced at 
Le Puy, France. Modern Le Puy may 
be black and white thread or silk 
Guipure. 

Liege (leej). — Bobbin. Binche lace made 
In both fine and coarse threads. 

Lille (HI). — Bobbin. Of the same char- 
acter as Arras but of finer quality and 
noted for delicate pattern and clear, 
clean ground. 



88 



THE DRYGOODSMAN'S HANDY DICTIONARY. 



Limerick. — An embroidery on net, classed 
as: Tambour. — The design worked in 
outline by machine chain stitch; Run. — 
The pattern run in the net by needle 
and thread; Applique. — Net or muslin 
stitched to net in designs and the 
foundation cut away leaving the de- 
sign in open outline. 

Limoges (lim-ozh). — Guipure made at 

Limoges, France. 
Luneville (lew-nay-veel). — Eobbin of 

many styles and imitations, made at 

Luneville, France. 

Lyme Regis (lime ree-jis). — Dorsetshire 
lace. 

Luxeuil (lux-ool). — Heavy hand-made 
laces produced at Luxeuil, France. 

Macrame (mak-rah-may). — Knotted lace 
made of heavy "macrame" cord or seine 
twine; also thread lace knotted on a 
pillow. See Genoa. 

Madeira (mah-day'rah). — Bobbin laces in 
imitation, made in Madeira. 

Madras (mah-dras'). — Bobbin. Made in 
imitation of Maltese silk Guipure. 

Malines (mah-leen). — Lace of ancient 
Mechlin; applied to all laces made in 
Flanders prior to 1665. A fine silk net. 

Maltese (.mawl-tees').— Bobbin. Simple 
in pattern in the thread, and in silk re- 
sembling Greek Guipure. The machine 
goods is somewhat like Torchon. 

Manillese (mah-nil-ees). — A combination 
of drawn-work and embroidery made in 
Manilla of tough grasses. 

Margherita (mar-ger-ee'tah). — Embroid- 
ery on machine net. Made in Italy. 

Mechlin (mek-lin).— Bobbin. Ground and 
design made in one piece with a cor- 
donnet about the pattern. The reseau 
may be of round design or hexagonal. 
The designs are largely floral. 

Medallion. — A detached pattern or de- 
sign. 

Medici (med'i-si). — A scalloped Torchon. 

Melange (may-lonzh). — Bobbin. A com- 
bination of Spanish designs with Chan- 
tilly patterns. 

Menin (meh-nan')- — Bobbin. Valenciennes 
hand-made of the cheaper grade. 

Mermaid. — Sometimes applied to Vene- 
tian Point. 

Mignonette (min-yon-ef). — Bobbin. A 
light, narrow, pure white lace formerly 
used very much in headdresses. Also 
known as Blonde de Fil and Point de 
Tulle. 



Milan Point (mi-lan'). — An ancient ex- 
pensive product of Milan, Italy. The 
modern Milan is a Torchon. 

Miracourt (mee-rah-kort). — Bobbin. 
Floral designs appliqued on machine 
net. 

Modern Point. — Needle laces made by 
hand after ancient designs, or factory- 
made laces imitating ancient handwork. 
The former are known also as Dentelle 
Renaissance and Dentelle Irlandaise, but 
are seldom seen commercially. 

Moorish. — A coarse household lace made 
in Morocco. 

Mosaic, (mo-za-ik). — A style of Duchess 
in which the design is built up after 
the form of mosaics. 

Nanduty. — A South American fiber lace 
in geometrical designs. 

Normandy. — The rich laces made in Nor- 
mandy and comprising many styles of 
original designs and copyings. Prin- 
cipally bobbin Valenciennes. 

Northamptonshire. — Bobbin. Made in 
imitation of Continental laces of the 
Valenciennes class. 

Wottingham. — All machine-made laces 
produced at Nottingham. England, or 
elsewhere, that resemble such laces. 
Principally curtain laces. 

Open. — Darned Netting. 

Opus Areneum. — Ancient name for Cluny 
Guipure and Darned Netting. 

Opus Conantum. — Applique. 

Opus Filatorium. — Netting. 

Opus Scissum. — Cut-work. 

Opus Turatum. — Drawn-work. 

Oriental. — Machine embroidery on ma- 
chine net with coarse, soft thread. 

Orsa. — Bobbin. Made of natural color 
thread by Spanish women. 

an.— A Turkish lace crocheted from 
colored silk threads. Point de Turque. 

Passement (paz-ment). — Name given to 
French laces previous to 1600. 

Passementerie (paz-men-ter-e). — A dec- 
orative edging or trimming which may 
be a beaded lace of any class. 

Pearlin. — An old Scotch name for lace. 

Pelestrina (pel-es-treen'ah). — Bobbin. 
Made at Pelestrina Island, near Venice. 
Used principally for curtains and large 
coverings and noted for foliage patterns. 

Peniche. — Bobbin. Very broad Portu- 
guese lace of large patterns. 



THE DRTGOODSMAX'S HANDY DICTIONARY. 



39 



Petit Motif (put-tit mo-tif). — Bobbin. 
Tape lace of very attractive design. 

Petit Poussin (pow-seen). — Bobbin. A 
Normandy Valenciennes. 

Plaited. — Bobbin. Of simple design and 
usually narrow. Modern Yak and Cluny 
are types of plaited lace. 

1 'Linen (plow-en). — All laces produced in 
the district of Plauen, especially those 
produced by embroidering with thread 
on fabric and afterwards destroying the 
fabric by acid that the design may be 
left free. 

Point a Carreaux (kah-roke). — Bobbin 
Lace. 

Point a l'Aiguille (ah-gwee-yeh). — Brus- 
sels Lace. 

Point Contee (kon-tee). — Darned netting. 

Point Coupe (kowp). — Cut-work. 

Point de Alencron (ah-lahn-sawn' or ah- 
len'son). — Needle-point. Originally a 
ground of brides, the French cordonnet 
being padded or raised and strength- 
ened with horsehair; the Italian cordon- 
net is flat. The designs follow the 
styles of the periods when manufac- 
tured. Named from Alengon, France. 
Called Argentella in Italy. 

Point d'Angleterre (ahng-le-tair). — Eng- 
lish Point. 

Point de Arabe (air-a-beh). — Bobbin. 
Produced mainly in dark ecru color in 
heavy designs. 

Point de Champ (shahn). — Any lace hav- 
ing a net ground. 

Point de Esprit (es-pree). — Fine bobbinct 
ornamented with single or grouped small 
dots. 

Point Double. — See Point de Paris. 
Point de Flandre (flan-der). — A Lune- 
ville lace. 

Point de France (frahns). — Applied to old 
French laces. 

Point de Irland (ir-lahnd). — Machine- 
made imitation of Venetian Point. 

Point di Medicis (med'i-see). — Italian 
Raised Point. 

Point de Moscow (mos'ko). — See Russian. 

Point de Paris (pah-ree'). — Bobbin. Nor- 
mandy Valenciennes popular 200 years 
ago. Machine-made cotton lace. Same 
as Point Double. 

Point di Milan (mil'an or mi-lan'). — Re- 
seau of fine mesh; pattern of sprawl- 
ing design. 

Point de Tricot (tree'ko). — Irish Crochet. 



Point de Tulle (tool).— See Mignonette. 
Point de Turque (turk). — See Oyali. 

Point Gaze (gahz). — Flemish needle-point 
resembling Alengon without the horse- 
hair in the cordonnet. See also Brus- 
sels. 

Point Gene (zhain). — Needle-point of the 
Plauen class. 

Point Kant. — See Potten Kan I. 

Point Pecheur (pay-shoor). — Bobbin. Re- 
sembling Maltese but of more attractive 
design. Black or cream. 

Point Plat. — Any lace without a raised 
cordonnet. See Brussels. 

Point Plat Applique. — Bobbin designs 
applied to plain net. 
Point Tire (teer). — Drawn-work. 

Point Tresse (tres). — Lace plaited from 
human hair. 
Point Venise (ven-ees'). — See Venetian. 

Polychromo (pol-i-kro'mo). — Bobbin. 
Made of colored silk threads in narrow 
borders in imitation of ancient designs. 

Pope's Point. — Venetian Point. 

Portuguese. — Applied to all laces made 
in Portugal. Peniche is the best type. 
There are many narrow laces of the 
Torchon character. 

Pot Lace. — See Potten Kant. 

Potten Kant. — Antwerp lace having the 
flower-pot design. Pot lace. See Ant- 
werp. 

Punto a Groppo. — Knotted lace. 

Punto a Piombino (pee-om-bee'no). — A 
variety of Italian bobbin. 

Punto a Relievo (ray-lee'vo). — Raised 
Venice Point. 

Punto di Burano (boo-rah'no). — See Bu- 
rano. 

Punto Gotico (go-tee'ko). — Ancient nee- 
dle-point in geometrical designs. 

Punto in Aria (ah-ree-ah). — Applied to 
very delicate laces of the Venice and 
Plat styles. 

Purling. — A simple looped or twisted nar- 
row edge. 

Puy (pwee). — See De Puy. 

Ragusa (rah-goo'sah). — Needle-point. 
Once made at Ragusa, Italy, resembling 
Venice. At present applied to a gimp 
or passementerie. 

Raised Rose Point.— Irish Crochet. 

Rattwik. — Bobbin. Made by Sweedish 
peasants in lozenge design. 



40 



THE DRYGOODSMAN'S HANDY DICTIONARY. 



Regency Point. — Bobbin. A Bedfordshire 
lace of careful workmanship entirely 
hand-made and rare. So named from 
manufacture during the English regency 
a hundred years ago. 

Renaissance (run-a-sahns). — Needle-point 
of modern manufacture having a tape 
base which is formed into the design 
and connected by brides, which may 
also be worked into intersecting small 
figures. Also known as Battenberg. See 
Modern Point. 

Reticella (ret-i-sell'ah). — Needle-point. 
The original of all laces; of ancient 
Greek origin and usually made in geo- 
metrical designs but later went through 
changes of patterns. The modern Reti- 
sella is a heavy furniture lace known 
as Greek Point. 

Rhodes (rohdz). — A white silk Guipure 
and a colored silk sometimes embellished 
with metal embroidery; the latter in 
flowers or geometrical figures. Made at 
Rhodes, Greece. 

Rococo (ro-ko'ko). — Italian lace having a 
rococo design. See Rococo in general 
definitions. 

Roman. — Same as Greek Point. 

Rose Point. — See Venetian Point. 

Russian. — All laces of Russian manufac- 
ture. Many are simple copies. Copied 
Venice is sold as Point de Moscow. 
Much of the native designing contains 
colored tapes and threads. 

Saxony. — A very strong German Torchon 
made in Saxony and known sometimes 
as Eternelle. 

Seaming. — Narrow openwork insertion. 

Seville (say-veel'). — A style of Torchon 
of Spanish manufacture. 

Shetland. — Bobbin. Made of fine Shet- 
land wool in style like linen laces. Also 
called Trina di Lana. 

Spacing. — Same as Seaming. 

Spanish. — Comprehensive of all Spanish- 
made laces and als.o includes many 
European laces once extensively im- 
ported into Spain, although little made 
there. Much convent-made lace is 
classed as Spanish. 

Spanish Point. — Ancient silk and metal 
passementerie. 

Stephani (stef'ah-nih). — An imitation of 
Venetian Point. 

Suffolk. — A variety of coarse Torchon. 

Swedish. — The laces made in Sweden, 
principally of bobbin character and in 
rather simple designs. 



Swiss. — Plain machine net embroidered 
by machine in imitation of Brussels. 

Syrian. — Coarse hand crochet of coarse 
cotton thread or yarn. 

Tambour. — See Limerick. 

Tape. — Needle-point in which tape is em- 
ployed. Similar to Battenberg and Ren- 
aissance. 

Tatting. — Knotted lace made by the em- 
ployment of a shuttle. Once very pop- 
ular. Same as Frivolite. 

Thread. — Made of linen as distinguished 
from cotton and silk. Honiton is a type. 

Toile de Araigner (twahl de ah-rain'er). 
— See Aloe. 

Tonder. — A variety of Danish. 

Torchon. — Bobbin. The thread is loose 
and the reseau is coarse, making an 
open design. Made in narrow widths. 
Once known as Beggars' Lace. 

Trina di Lana (tree-nan de lah'nah). — 
See Shetland. 

Trole Kant (trol kant). — Bobbin. Of an- 
cient manufacture. 

Trolly. — Bobbin. A ground in imitation 
of ancient Trolle Kant and designs hav- 
ing a heavy cordonnet. 

Valenciennes (vah-lahn -see-en'). — Bobbin. 
Made without cordonnet and largely in 
floral designs. Machine imitations are 
usually in narrow edgings and inser- 
tions. Many varieties of Valenciennes 
take their names from the places of 
production. Commonly known as Val. 

Van Dyke Points. — Laces having an edge 
in distinct points. See general defini- 
tions. 

Venetian. — Needle-point. Ordinarily in 
floral patterns with large cordonnet and 
connecting brides and picots. Also ap- 
plied to modern bobbin laces like Steph- 
ani and Polychromo. Point Venise. 

Venetian Point, Grounded. — Same as Bu- 
rano. 

Venezuelan. — Fine drawn-work executed 
in Venezuela, embellished with colored 
silk thread. 

Warp. — Drawn-work showing a ground of 
warp threads. 

Wiltshire. — Bobbin. Similar to Devon- 
shire. 

Wood Fiber. — Laces made of any fine 
wood fiber. 

Yak (yank). — Bobbin. Made of wool in 
copied geometrical designs, ornamented 
by needle. Machine-made of wools in 
dark colors" for use on underwear. 



THE DRYGOODSMANS HANDY DICTIONARY. 



41 



Youghil (yo-gal). — Needle-point. Made 
in Ireland of heavy thread in designs 
copied from Continental laces. Sometimes 
called Irish Point. 

Ypres (eepr). — Bobbin. Of the coarser 
Valenciennes and Mechlin types. 

Zante (zahn'tay). — Same as Greek Point. 



Lace Curtain. — A window drapery of lace, 
especially made for the purpose, usually 
decorated with designs woven in or ap- 
pliqued upon. 

LACE CURTAIN TERMS. 

Antique C. — Imitations of ancient styles 
of lace; also patterns irregularly or in- 
distinctly woven to simulate effects pro- 
duced in olden times. 

Arabian C. — Composed of a center of 
stout netting, edged with Arabian lace. 

Bobbinet C. — Made of machine-made 
hexagonal cotton netting, sometimes 
with an inserted border or narrow lace 
edge, or may be simply hemmed. 

Brussels C. — A foundation of fine net- 
ting, ornamented with a delicate pat- 
tern, usually of vines, applied in heavy 
thread by a bonnaz machine, with ad- 
ditional details filled in by hand. 

Bungalow Nets. — Simple nets in open- 
work designs of geometrical character 
intended to be used in lengths reaching 
only to the bottom of the window frame. 

Cluny C. — A net of any character fin- 
ished with an edge, or border, of Cluny 
lace. 

Irish Point C. — A foundation of fine ma- 
chine netting, upon which is appliqued 
a large flowing pattern in strips of 
cambric. This cambric is basted In po- 
sition, then stamped with the design, 
which is next worked in in coarse 
thread by an embroidery machine, thus 
fastening the cambric firmly to the net- 
ting. After the curtain is washed and 
starched, all surplus cambric outside 
the stitching is clipped away with scis- 
sors. 

Limerick C. — See Laces. 

Net C. — Comprises the entire class of 
curtains which has pure net basis and 
may be embellished or finished with ln- 
sertings, edges, or any class of em- 
broidery. 

Nottingham C. — Machine-made lace, orig- 
inally made in Nottingham, England, 
but now extensively made in this coun- 



try. The machines on which these cur- 
talns are made are capable of produc- 
ing an almost endless variety of designs 
and intricate patterns. This kind of 
curtain is of heaviest demand and sale. 

Pelestrlna C. — See Laces. 

Quaker C. — A variety of proprietary brand 

of Nottingham. 

Renaissance C. (run-a-sahns). — A style of 
curtain which may be a net of cotton 
or silk edged with Renaissance lace, or 
may have elaborate insertings or set-in 
designs of the Renaissance, or Batten- 
berg, character. It may be simple and 
inexpensive, or elaborate and costly 

Swiss Tambour C. — A machine-embroid- 
ered netting in inexpensive form and 
without any attempt at details or deli- 
cate finishing. 

Tambour Muslin C. — Sheer muslin or 
cambric embroidered in large designs In 
chain stitch by machine and intended to 
meet demands for low-priced but pre- 
tentious curtains. 

Sash C. — Any curtain material intended to 
screen the lower sash of a window; cer- 
tain nettings and figured Swiss muslins 
are made especially for that purpose. 

Lace Panel. — A width of lace inserted 
between breadths of cloth In a ilress 
skirt; a piece of curtain lace designed 
for use in glass door panels or any 
small panes. 

Ladder Stitch. — A cross-stitch of em- 
broidery and lace-making supposed to 
simulate a ladder. 

Ladies' Cloth. — Fine quality of dress 
flannel woven in broadcloth widths and 
usually with a broadcloth finish. Some- 
times sold as broadcloth. 

Lambrequin (lam'bre-kin). — A piece of 
flexible material, plain or decorated, 
hanging by one edge fastened to the 
top of a door or window or to a mantel 
or other shelf as a decoration. 

Lamb's Wool. — The wool of lambs, used 
in the manufacture of yarns and tex- 
tile fabrics. 

Lance (lang-say or lans). — Very small 
spots on a textile supposed to resemble 
marks that might be made by a lance 
point. 

Lansdowne. — A twilled silk and wool 
fabric of very light construction. See 
Gloria. 

Lapel (la-pel'). — The edge of a garment 
which is made to fold over or turn 
back, as the lapel of a coat. 



THE DRTGOODSMAN'S HANDY DICTIONARY. 



Lapis. — A method of calico printing with 
indigo. 

Lappet. — A part of a head dress hang- 
ing loose. 

Lappet Muslin. — A muslin loom decor- 
ated with small figures or narrow 
stripes. Some Swisses are so pro- 
duced. 

Lappet Weaving. — Figure-production by 
means of needles placed in sliding 
frames. 

Lasting. — A twilled woolen fabric with 
double warp and single filling, used for 
linings, for covering buttons and for 
the uppers of women's shoes. Also 
known as Denmark Satin. 
Laventine (lav'en-tin). — A light, thin silk 
used principally for linings. 
Lawn. — A thin sheer, plain-woven linen 
or cotton textile, plain or printed, usu- 
ally slightly sized. 

Lawn Sleeve. — Same as Bishop Sleeve. 
La Vafliere. — Neck ornament consisting 
of a chain from which is suspended a 
pendant. Made of metal, beads and a 
combination of precious and semi- 
precious stones. 
Lay. — See Lea and Rap. 
Layette (la-yet'). — The original outfit for 
a baby, made up of clothes, toilet neces- 
sities, ornaments, bed and so forth. 
Lea (lee). — A unit of yarn measure — 
cotton 360 feet; linen 900 feet. One of 
the alternating sets of warp threads in 
weaving. Lay. Rap. Skein. 
Leggings. — Coverings for the legs, like 
long gaiters, worn as a protection 
against the weather or in rough work 
and traveling; made of leather, heavy 
duck, canvas, or other tough material. 
Leg O' Mutton. — Dress making term, de- 
scribing a style of sleeve which is broad 
at the top and gradually tightens to- 
ward the wrist, like the shape of a leg 
of mutton. Commonly used in tailored 
garments. 

Leno (le'no). — A thin open lace-work 
cotton goods, a combination of plain 
weave and gauze; used for curtains. 
Linen Muslin. 

Levantine (lev'an-tin). — A stout, closely 
woven, twilled, reversible silk fabric 
having different colors on the opposite 
sides; so named because of origin in the 
Levant. 

Liberty Silk. — A thin, satin-finished silk; 
used in linings, trimmings and in mil- 
linery. 



Lill. — A small pin; an English name. 

Line. — Linen; linen apparel. Fine, long 
flax as separated from tow. Term ap- 
plied to any particular class or char- 
acter of goods. A unit of English and 
French measurement for some purposes. 
The English line, 1/40 of an inch, is 
used to designate button sizes, the face 
being so many lines across; the French 
line, or ligne, is used in ribbon measure- 
ment, being 1/11 (.0S87) of an inch and 
is measured across the width of the 
ribbon. See appendix table. 

Linen. — Thread or yarn spun from flax 
fiber. Cloth woven from such yarn. 
Sometimes cloth woven from hemp. 

Linen Diaper. — A medium-weight linen 
cloth of honeycomb or pebble weave, or 
other small loom figure, used principal- 
ly for infants' swaddling clothes. 

Linen Draper. — Name given in Great 
Britain to a dealer in linen goods. 
Linen Duster. — See Duster. 

Linen Embroidery. — Embroidery produc- 
ed by drawing threads from cloth in a 
manner to leave a design in solid cloth, 
with surrounding lace-like mesh. 

Linen Floss. — A slack-twisted linen em- 
broidery thread. 

Linen Fringe. — A simple fringe made of 
twisted linen yarn. 

Linen Muslin. — See Leno. 

Lingerie (lan-zha-ree' or lin-zher-ee'). — 
Originally linen articles of clothing but 
extended to include all underwear and 
articles of silk, linen, cotton, embroid- 
ery and lace worn by women. 

Lining. — The inside covering of any- 
thing. 

Linoleum (lin-o'le-um). — Linseed oil pre- 
pared by oxidization, mixed with ground 
cork and firmly attached to a jute can- 
vas backing by heavy pressure. Made 
in plain surface which may be decor- 
ated with a design like oilcloth and also 
inlaid, of a little different composition, 
in which the pattern is formed by solid 
blocks of color in close imitation of til- 
ing. 

Linon (le-nong' or lin'on). — A word ap- 
plied to many fine, sheer cotton lawns, 
especially to that known as India 
linon. 

Linsel. — A cloth of mixed linen and wool; 
a garment from the same. 

Linsey. — Same as Linsel. 



THE DRYGOOHSMA.VS HANDY DICTIONARY. 



■13 



Linsey-Woolsey. — A coarse cloth made 
with linen warp or cotton and linen 
warp and wool rilling, usually in bright 
Plaids or checks. Any fabric of uoubt- 
i'ul composition and questionable ma- 
terials. 

Lisle Thread. — As originally used in knit 
goods it was a fine, hard, linen thread 
made at Lisle, Prance; the lisle thread 
of present use is from selected long- 
staple cotton, carefully spun and gassed 
in finishing. 

Lisse (lees). — A very thin, plain gauze 
used for ruehings and other neckwear, 
and also for millinery linings and trim- 
mings. See Crape Lisse. 

List. — The colored selvage snip of a piece 
of cloth; sucn strips sewed together 
into a parti-colored fabric. Any strip 
of cloth. 

Livery. — A dress or uniform worn by 
servants; the uniform of an organiza- 
tion or association. 

Livery Cloth — See box cloth. 

Llama (lah'mah). — A wooly-haired ca- 
meloid ruminant native to South Amer- 
ica. Its wool has a limited use in tex- 
tile manufactures. 

Lockram (lock'ram). — A cheap grade of 
coarse, plain linen, originally made in 
Locrenan, Brittany. 

Logwood. — A dye obtaned from the log- 
wood tree, a native to Central America, 
but commercially cultivated in Mexico 
and the West Indies. The deep red 
color obtained from logwood. 

Long Cloth. — A soft-finished, fine, bleach- 
ed muslin, especially adapted for lin- 
gerie and infants' wear. 

Loom. — A machine in which thread or 
yarn is woven into fabric. 

Loom Ends. — Used to designate short 
lengths of cloth from the loom. An 
abused term. 

Loom- Figured. — Possessing figured orna- 
mentation produced in the loom by the 
yarns instead of printed or embroidered 
on the surface. 

Loom Picture. — A loom figure in the de- 
sign of a picture. 

Looped Cord Fabric. — A woolen goods 
. woven with a surface of looped cords of 
such a character that it may be dyed 
in imitation of fur. 

Louisine (lu-i-zene'). — A light weight, 
soft-finish silk; also known as Summer 
Silk. 

Love. — A very thin silk fabric. 



Lunch Cloth. — A small linen damasl 01 

embroidered cloth for lunch tables. 

Luster. — A dress goods with a cotton 
chain and wool filling, with 1 highly fin- 
ished surface. An imitation Alpaca. 

Lustering. — A steaming and polishing 
process which imparts to yarn and cloth 
a very high and lasting luster. 

Lustrene (lus'treen). — A cotton goods 
highly finished to imitate silk and used 
for linings. 

Lustring (lus'tring). — A plain, heavy un- 
finished silk cloth. A glossy-faced, 
shiny silk of former times. 

Lutestring (Iute'string). — In fabrics the 
same as lustring. See Ribbon Terms. 

Luxor. — A ribbed satin or silk cloth, soft 
and rich. 

M. 

Mackintosh. — A loose-fitting cloak, reach- 
ing to the heels, of water-proofed cloth, 
worn as a protection from storm. 

Mfeco (mah-ko). — See Knit Goods Terms. 

Maco Yarn. — A yarn made of Egyptian 
cotton, undyed; applied to yarn in the 
natural color. 

Macrame (mack-rah-may). — A fringe or 
trimming of heavy knotted thread, or 
cord, known as macrame cord. 

Madapollam (.mad-a-pol'lam). — A fine 
long cloth, plain white or printed, orig- 
inally made at Madapollam, Madras, but 
now manufactured in Europe and 
America. 

Madder. — A plant, from the roots of 
which is extracted and manufactured a 
red dye-stuff, the source of Turkey- 
Red. The color of a fabric, dyed with 
madder. 

Madder Style. — See Printing. 

Madeira. — A fine hand embroidery made 
by the natives of the Islands of Ma- 
deira. The feature of this embroidery 
is the round eyelet and the simple tiny 
floral and foliage designs. 

Madras (ma-dras' or mad'ras). — A large 
bright-colored handkerchief of silk or 
cotton, or a Union. 

Madras Work. — Embroidery on madras 
handkerchiefs, outlining the pattern and 
making it more prominent. 

Madras Gingham. — See Ginghams. 

Madras Curtain. — A lace like curtain ma- 
terial usually woven in colored design. 

Magpie Veiling. — A double thread mesh 

veiling of black and white mixture. 



THE DRYGOODSMAN'S HANDY DICTIONARY. 



Mail Cloth. — A heavy silk embroidery 
cloth with a canvas-like face. 

Mail Net. — A loom -made net which 
shows a succession of right-angled 
triangles. 

Maline (mah-leen'). — A lace netting hav- 
ing an hexagonal mesh. In laces the 
same as Mechlin, Maline having been 
the ancient name of that city. 

Mandarin. — A loose sleeve resembling the 
sleeves on a Chinese mandarin's coat. 

Mangling. — Smoothing or pressing fabrics 
by passing them between or under heavy 
rollers while damp. 

Manila Hemp. — The fiber of a Philippine 
plant, the finer parts of which are used 
for cloths and the coarser for cordage. 

Manteau (man'to). — A mantle or cloak, 
not tightly closed in front. 

Mantelet. — A small cloak or mantle. 

Mantilla (man-til'a). — A head covering 
of lace, falling upon the shoulders and 
sometimes used as a veil; the woman's 
head dress of Spain and parts of Italy. 
A woman's light cloak or cape. 

Mantle. — An outer garment which may 
be sleeved but is usually sleeveless. A 
cloak. 

Mantle Cloth. — Any heavy cloth well 
adapted or especially intended for 
cloaks or mantles. 

Mantua. — A dress; a cloak. 

Mantua-Maker (man'tu-a ma'ker). — A 
maker of mantuas; a dressmaker. 

Marabou (mar'a-boo). — A white raw silk 
that may be dyed without being 
cleansed from gum, the fiber said to 
resemble marabou feathers. 

Marabou Feathers. — The soft white tail 
and wing feathers from the marabou 
stork and adjutant bird. 

Marcellne (mar'se-lin). — A light weight 
silk used for linings. 

Marguerite (mar'ge-reet). — A lace or em- 
broidery trimmed chemise seldom reach- 
ing below the waist. 

Marking Cotton. — A strong embroidery 
cotton usually dyed in red and blue and 
used for outline embroidery. 

Marquisette (mar-kwi-zef). — A sheer, 
light silk used principally as an over- 
dress on heavy silk or satin founda- 
tions. Also applied to cotton imita- 
tions. 

Marseilles (mar-sales). — A stout, corded 
full-bleached cotton fabric with a raised 
pattern. A bleached bed quilt woven 



in one piece showing a figured face 
and plain back. 

Marsella. — A soft-finish twilled linen 
cloth, usually in white. 

Mat. — A foot wiper or floor covering 
made of coarse fibers, heavy yarns, 
rags, or similar materials. A TABLE 
MAT is a thick pad for protecting the 
cloth and table. LAMP MATS are fancy 
knit, crocheted or embroidered doilies 
on which to set lamps. 

Matelasse (mat-lah-say'). — An effect in 
weaving which shows the loom figures 
as though thickly padded. A silk and 
wool French dress goods having designs 
woven in relief. 

Matting. — Coarse fabric woven of more 
or less heavy fibers used for floor cov- 
ering and outer wrappings of merchan- 
dise in transit. COCOA MATTING is 
made from yarns spun from the coarse 
fiber, coir, contained in the husk of 
the cocoa-nut. NAPIER MATTING is 
made of a mixture of jute and hemp. 
STRAW MATTING includes the rush 
mattings of China. Japan and India, 
made with cotton or hemp warps. Prac- 
tically the only matting used as entire 
floor covering. 

Medallion. — An ornament of lace or em- 
broidery in a complete design. 

Medici. — A collar for cloaks and dresses, 
very high and stiffened, rolling outward 
at the top. 

Medicis (med'i-si). — A wrap of tulle or 
blonde-lace for the shoulders and chest. 

Melange (ma-lonzh'). — Black and white 
or color mixture in textiles, particularly 
woolens, obtained by mixed threads or 
threads mixed in spinning. Applied to 
union fabrics. 

Melton. — A heavy, smooth, woolen cloth, 
well fulled, finished with a short nap 
and piece-dyed. Used for heavy cloth- 
ing. Named for Melton, England. 

Mercer. — In England, one who deals or 
trades in cloths. Practically the same 
as draper. A merchant. 

Mercerizing. — A process of treating cot- 
ton products with caustic alkali and 
sulphuric acid, causing the material to 
full and become heavier and imparting 
a silky luster and smooth surface, at 
the same time increasing its attraction 
for coloring matter. Invented by John 
Mercer, an English calico printer. See 
Knit Goods Terms. 



THE DRYGOODSMAN'S HANDY I '1CTIONARY. 



45 



Merino (me-re'no). — A tine wool dress 
goods originally made of wool from 
Merino sheep, woven with a twill on 
both sides, and piece-dyed. In hosiery 
indicating a fine woolen yarn. In un- 
derwear a fabric of cotton and wool 
mixed but abused to include all sorts 
of flat cotton underwear. See Knit 
Goods Terms. 

Merovingian. — A family that founded the 
first French dynasty in 4S6 and whose 
name has been given to styles copied 
from that period. 

Merveilleux (mair-vay-looz'l. — A smooth. 
satin-faced silk woven with a fine- 
twilled back. 

Mesh. — An interstice between the threads 
of any network; the threads that bound 
such a space; in lace, the background 
as a whole. See Knit Goods Terms. 

Messaline. — Twilled silk which has a satin 
finish, is light in weight and resembles 
peau de cygne. Also applied to fine, 
highly finished bleached cotton goods. 

Meter or Metre (me'ter). — The French 
unit of measure equal to 39.37 inches. 
but in invoicing goods put up in meter 
lengths it is usually reckoned 1 1-12 
yards. See metric system in appendix. 

Metric System. — The system of weights 
and measures of which the meter is the 
foundation of measure, being one ten- 
millionth part of the distance from the 
equator to the pole; and the grain of 
weight being one cubic centimeter of 
water; and the liter of capacity being 
one cubic decimeter. See Metric System 
in Appendix. 

Milan Braid. — A flat mohair braid made 
in different widths used for trimming 
and for binding raw edges as a finish 
for garments. 

Mill Ends. — The accumulations of dis- 
carded cloth in a mill, including all pieces 
not salable as firsts. It has become 
applied to any line of merchandise with 
which can be created a "sale". Same 
as Loom Ends. 

Mille-Raye (mill-ray'yah). — Very fine 
hair-lines or stripes running lengthwise 
of the fabric. 

Milling. — A fulling process by which cloth 
ts compacted and thickened. 

Miroir (me-roo-ahr'), — Glossy or shim- 
mering surface on textiles produced by 
calendering. 

Miroir Velvet. — A highly-finished velvet. 



Mistral.— A sheer worsted materia! woven 
from yarns twisted to give a kinky sur- 
face to the fabric. 

Mitaine (mi-tayn'). — A form of sleeve in 
which that part below the elbow re- 
sembles a mitten. 

Mitt.— A mitten winch is finished at the 
base of fingers and thumb, leaving them 
uncovered; sometimes made with stub 
fingers. Formerly worn by women and 
girls. 

Mitten. — A hand-covering which encloses 
the fingers together and the thumb 
separately. 

Mixture. — Fabric in which the yarns are 
spun of mixed colored threads or the 
warp of one color and tne filling of an- 
other. 

Mob Crown. — A soft, cap-like crown 
used ior women's hats. Term uerived 
from the mob cap worn by the French 
Revolutionists. Also known as the Char- 
lotte Corday crown. 

Moccasin (mok'a-sin). — A covering for 
the feet made of buckskin or other soft- 
tanned leather, with a flexible sole and 
ornamented on the upper. A shoe knit- 
ted or crocheted for infants. 

Moche (mosh). — An original imported 
package of raw or spun silk. 

Mockado (mock-od'o). — An Elizabethan 
English pile fabric in imitation of vel- 
vet; a mock velvet. 

Mode. — The common fashion or present 
style. 

Mohair. — The wool ot the Angora goat. 
A light dress fabric with a lustrous sur- 
face made of silk or cotton warp and a 
filling of mohair wol. 

Moire (moh-ray'). — A wavy undulating 
effect produced en the surface of tex- 
tiles, especially silks and moreens, by 
wetting, crumpling and great pressure. 
See Watering. 

Moire Antique. — A heavy silk moired in 

antique designs. 
Moirette (mo-ret'). — A cotton moired 

substitute for moreen. 
Moire Velours (moh-ray' vel-oor'). — A 

silk fabric with a twilled face on which 

a watered effect has been produced. 
Moleskin. — A strong twilled fustian with 

a short nap sheared before dying. Any 

goods with a soft pile face resembling 

the skin of a mole. 
Momie (mo'mie). — Same as Mummy. 



THE DRYGOODSMAN'S HANDY DICTIONARY. 



Montagnac (mon'ta-nack). — -A chinchilla 
of the Whitney type with a face of part 
looped yarns and part napped. Used 
for heavy outer coats. 

Moreen (mo-reen'). — Very firm and dur- 
able woolen, or cotton and wool fabric 
with a watered, or moire finish on the 
face and a smooth back. Used largely 
for petticoats. 

Morees (mo'reez). — An English cotton 
oloth made for exportation. 

Moscow (mos'ko). — A heavy thick cloth 
with a brushed face, for overcoats. 

Mosquito Netting. — A coarse cotton 
gauze, or net, plain or barred into large 
squares, used for protection against 
winged insects. 

Motif. — The unit of a design which is 
repeated over and over again in a lace 
pattern. 

Mousquetaire (mus-ke-tare'). — A wo- 
man's long-armed kid glove with a slit- 
ted opening at the wrist. A cloth cloak 
trimmed with ribbons and large buttons. 
A turnover linen collar worn about 
1S50. 

Mousseline (moo-se-lene'). — The French 
for muslin. 

Mousseline Chiffon ( moo-se-lene cinffon). 
— Occasionally applied to plain chiffon. 

Mousseline Delaine (moo-se-lene' de- 
lane')- — A plain, light, wool, or cotton 
and wool dress fabric, dyed in plain 
colors and also printed in colored 
figures. Name sometimes given to wool 
challi. 

Mousseline De Soie (moo-se-lcne' de 
swah'). — Muslin of Silk". An extreme- 
ly fine soft muslin made of silk finished 
with a very light sizing. 

Moyen Age. — (French for Middle Ages). 
—A term applied to women's fashions 
in dress and particularly to the long 
waisted tight fitting bodices. 

Mozambique (mo-zam-beek'). — An open, 
somewhat gauze-like dress goods com- 
posed of a cotton warp in pairs and 
i light-twisted wool or mohair filling. 
Usually in colored stripes, checks, or 
plaids, yarn dyed. 

Muff. — A padded tubular case open at 
both ends into which both hands may 
be thrust to keep them warm. Made of 
fur, velvet, silk, plush, etc. 

Muffetee (muf-e-te'). — A small protec- 
tive muff or wristband made of fur. 

worsted or other warm material. A 
wristlet. 



Muffler. — A scarf of light, warm material 
worn as a protection for the throat. 

Mull. — A thin, soft, cotton muslin under 
which are classed several finishes, as 
India, Swiss, Starched. There is also 
a silk mull largely used in millinery and 
in making neckwear. 

Mummy Cloth. — Cloth woven supposedly 
in facsimile of the ancient linen cloths 
in which Egyptian nrummies were 
wrapped, of uneven and irregular sur- 
face. An embroidery linen. A dress 
goods with cotton or silk warp and 
wool filling having a crape-like face. 
Also written Momie. 

Mungo. — Fiber made from the mill waste 
of woolen cloth, known as hard rags, 
as distinguished from shoddy, which is 
made of rags, etc. See Shoddy. 

Muslin. — Plain cotton cloth. In England, 
the word describes somewhat different 
cloths than here and the subdivisions 
are more numerous. Named from 
Mosul. Kurdistan, Asia, the first place 
of manufacture. 

Mysore Silk. — An Indian silk of excellent 
quality produced in figures principally. 
Named from the state of Mysore. India. 



Nacarat. — An orange-red linen or silk fa- 
bric used in making toilet. 

Nacre (nack'ray). — Having the appear- 
ance of Mother of Pearl. 

Nagapore Silk. — A thin colored silk from 
India. Named from the place and 
people of original manufacture. 

Nail. — An English measure of length 
equal to 2^4 inches or one-sixteenth of 
a. yard, being the distance from the 
end of the thumb nail to the thumb 
base joint, hence the name. 

Nainsook (nan'suk). — White, soft-finish, 
slightly-sized cotton goods, somewhat 
lighter than cambric, woven plain or 
with checks, plaids, or stripes, the lat- 
ter also known as Checked Nainsook or 
Barred Muslin. 

Napier Cloth (na'per cloth). — A double 
faced cloth having one side of wooi and 
the other of fine goat's hair or vicuna 
hair. 

Nankeen (nan-keen'). — A Chinese cloth 
made from the natural yellow cotton of 
the Nankin district. An imitation, plain 
or twilled, dyed yellow. 



THE DRYGOODSMAN'S HANDY DICTIONARY. 



47 



Nap. — The soft, fuzzy surface of textiles 
as they come from the loom or after 
being brushed. The loops on velvet be- 
fore cutting to form the pile. 

Napery (na'per-ie). — Household linen, 
especially table linens. 

Napkin. — A small cloih usually square 
with hemmed edges, the common table 
sizes from 22 to 27 inches; sometimes 
fringed. Made of linen or mercerized 
cotton damask. Sanitary napkins are 
absorbent pads with waterproof back- 
ing. 

Napping. — The raising of a nap or thick 
fibrous surface on the face of textiles 
by means of revolving cylinders loaded 
with teazels or fine wire brushes. 
Teazling. Gigging. 

Narrow. — To reduce the number of 
stitchas in knitting, thus narrowing and 
shaping the fabric. 

Narrow Cloth Those woolen cloths 52 to 

54 inches, or less in width; anything 
wider being a broadcloth. An old dis- 
tinction. 

Natte (nat). — Fabric surfaces woven to 
resemble coarse matting. 

Navajo Blanket (nav'a-ho blank'et). — An 
ornamental, hand-woven blanket made 
by Navajo Indians 

Neapolitan. — Fine, transparent hair 
braid, stiffened by some dressing and 
made into pressed hat shapes for wo- 
men's and children's millinery. 

Neck Cloth. — A fine cloth folded into a 
narrow band and worn about the neck. 

Neckerchief. — Usually a square of fine 
linen or silk folded into a triangle and 
fastened about the neck with the long 
points crossed in front. 

Necktie. — Any band, ribbon, or scarf 
worn around the neck and tieu under 
the chin, or any knot or uow fastened 
under the chin. 

Neckwear. — Anything worn about the 
neck, especially of an ornamental char- 
acter. 

Needle. — A pointed instrument with an 
eye for carrying a thread through a fa- 
bric. Made in many shapes and sizes 
for every purpose. In common sewing 
needles, the marks Sharps, Betweens 
and Blunts indicate the character of the 
points and lengths. 

Needle-Book. — Leaves of flannel, on which 



to stick needles, sewed together In the 
form of a book. 

Needle-Threader. — A small metal instru- 
ment for assisting in threading a needle. 

Needlework. — Work done with a needle, 
usually handwork. Hand embroidery. 

Negligee (neg-le-zhav'l. — An undress or 
careless toilet. A style of gown. A 
style of shirt. A coral necklace. 

Net. — Openwork textile in which the 
meshes are of uniform size, style and 
regularity. 

Netting. — A loose or irregular net; an 
open or coarse net. 

Nettle-Cloth.— A thick japanned cotton 
cloth used as a substitute for leather. 

Newmarket. — A cloak made with fitted 
waist and skirts reaching the floor, us- 
ually made in continuous breadths from 
neck to hem. 

Nid D'Abeille (nee d'ab-a'yuh). — Meaning 
beehive. Beehive appearance on a tex- 
tile. 

Niggerhead. — Any goods having scattered 
on its surface hard-twisted or curled 
knots or knobs. 

Nightgown. — See Gown. 

Noil. — Short lengths or tangles of wool 
combed from the long staple in the 
preparation of yarns. Sometimes ap- 
plied to waste silk. 

Normal. — See Knit Goods Terms. 

Notions. — That great variety of small 
wares necessary to the stock of any 
well -managed store. An American 
term. 

Nuage (nu'azh). — Clouded appearance in 
cloths. 

Nubia (nu'bi-a). — A soft, light knitted or 
crocheted scarf worn by women about 
the head or neck. 

Nun's Cotton. — A fine, white, smooth 
embroidery cotton, said to derive its 
name from extensive use by nuns. 

Nun's Cloth.— A variety of bunting used 
as dress goods. 

Nun's Thread. — A fine thread suitable for 
lace making. 

Nun's Veiling. — A thin, soft, untwilled 
woolen cloth, used as veiling and for 
dresses. 

Nursery Cloth. — Thick, heavy cloth, 
sometimes padded and quilted, for use- 
on the beds of infants and invalids. 



48 



THE DRYGOODSMAN'S HANDY DICTIONARY. 



Obi. — A broad Japanese sash. 

Oil Cloth. — Coarse cloth, usually burlap, 
coated with lead and oil and afterward 
ornamented with painted figures. Table 
Oil Cloth or Enamel Cloth has a founda- 
tion of muslin to which is applied a 
covering of oil, turpentine and umber, 
which may be ornamented in various 
patterns. 

Oiled Silk. — Thin, white silk soaked in 
boiled linseed oil, to make it water- 
proof, and then dried. 

Oilskin. — Cotton or linen cloth made 
water-proof with drying oil. A gar- 
ment made of sucn cloth. A slicker. 

Ombre (om'bray). — A graduated stripe 
shading from light to dark. 

Organdie. — A fine translucent muslin, 
sometimes striped in weaving, having 
a very fine size and commonly printed 
in bright pattems. 

Organzine (or-gan-zeen). — A silk thread 
made of several single threads twisted 
together; chiefly for warp. A fabric 
made of organzine thread. 

Orleans Cloth.— A cloth of cotton chain 
and wool filling of self color, or bright 
colors and highly finished surface, 
sometimes loom figured. 

Osnaburg. — Originally a coarse cloth 
made of a mixture of flax and tow at 
Osnaburg. Germany, but now the name 
is applied to heavy cotton checks and 
small plaids, mainly blue and white 
and brown and white, used for shirts 
and common garments. 

Osprey — A stiff feather trimming used 
in millinery, made of the feathers of 
the sea eagle, the buzzard and the fish 
hawk. 

Ottoman. — A rich, heavy, pliable silk 
dress fabric woven with a transverse 
cord larger than that in Faille Fran- 
chise. A cushioned seat. A small 
carpet -covered foot rest or stool. 

Outing Cloth.— Soft, thick, plain woven 
cotton fabric, brushed into the appear- 
ance of flannel; pfain, striped, or 
checked in colors. 

Overalls. — Light. protective trousers, 
made of denim, drill, duck or similar 
material, to be pulled on over other 
trousers as protection or prevention 
from soil. Leggings. Military trous- 
ers. 

Overcoat. — A large coat worn over all 
other dress, usually for added warmth 
or protection from weather. 



Overcoating. — Any material from which 
overcoafs are intended to be made. 

Overdress. — A dress of lace, netting, 
chiffon, or other transparent material 
worn over a gown which shows through 
the overdress. An overskirt. A dress 
cut away in part so as to show other 
materials in the spaces. 

Overgaiter. — A protective covering for 
the ankl; and leg fastening at the side 
and held down by a strap under the 
instep, usually made of heavy cloth, 
felt or canvas. A spatterdash. A 
gaiter. 

Overgarment. — Any garment to be worn 
outside of other garments, as, an over- 
coat, a cloak. 

Overshirt. — The outside shirt; not an 
undershirt. 

Overskirt. — A draped overdress: worn 
outside the main dress skirt, once very 
fashionable. 

Oversleeve. — A detachable outer sleeve 
worn as a protection to waist sleeve 
or shirt sleeve. An ornamental sleeve 
attached outside a guimpe or lingerie 
sleeve. 

Oxford. — A wool fabric in dark gray and 
white mixtures in the proportion of 90 
per cent and 10 per cent; also, cotton 
and linen fabrics in similar mixtures. 
Oxford Mixture, Melange, Pepper and 
Salt. See Knit Goods Terms. 

Oxford Shirting — A fine, loom-figured, 
cotton shirting; also used for women's 
and children's wear. 



Packet. — A small bag or receptacle for 
carrying small articles. A parcel. 

Pad.— To expose a fabric in dyeing to 
the action of a mordant. A bundlei of 
wool yarn. Thick, double-faced moire 
ribbon used for watch guards. Em- 
broidery material for making a raised 
pattern. A cushion-like appendage 
used to fill out a dress, as. a hip pad. 

Padding. — Any material used in garment 
making to fill out or extend any part 
of a garment. A coarse white felt 
used in tailoring. A heavy felt or 
quilted cotton-filled muslin used on the 
dining table under the cloth. 

Paduasoy (pad'u-a-soy). — A heavy, rich 
silk of the ISth century, made in 
Padua. Italy. The modern Peau de 
Soie is almost identical. 

Paillasse (pa-lyas'). — A mattress filled 
with straw or other cheap material. 



THE DRYGOODSMAN'S HANDY DICTIONARY. 



49 



Paillasson (pa-lyas-sohn'). — A style of 
straw bonnet worn about 1S50. 

Paillette (pa-lyet'). — A spangle or scale. 
Also applied to large round spots or 
patterns in fabrics. 

Pajamas (pa-jah'maz or pa-jay'maz). — 
Loose, bifurcated garments of wash- 
able material covering the whole body 
and employed as sleeping garments. 
Loose trousers worn in India. 

Palamapore. — Cotton cloth printed in 
bright colored designs and used in 
some localities for bedspreads. A flow- 
ered Oriental shawl. 

Paletot Coat (pal'e-to coat). — A loose 
coat, the skirts of which extend ten 
inches or more below the waist line. 

Pall (pawl). — A large dark cloth thrown 
over a coffin, or tomb. A small linen 
chalice cover. A mantle or cloak; a 
coronation robe. Formerly the cloth 
from which the mantles of nobility were 
made. 

Panache (pah-nah-shay). — In reference 
to a fabric means, many hued or of 
many colors. When referring to an up- 
right plume or bunch of feathers it is 
pronounced pah-nash'. 

Panama. — A hard-threaded plain worsted 
dress goods. A hat made from the 
leaves of the screw-pine of Central 
America. 

Panel.— A straight piece of different fa- 
bric or color placed vertically in a 
skirt as an ornament. 

Panne (pan). — A pile faorie of the satin 
antique variety. Long-haired, but not 
so lustrous. The pile made to lie 
smooth by pressure. 

Pantalets (pan-ta-lets')- — Long drawers 
finished with a deep frill hanging be- 
low the dress skirt. 

Pantaloons. — Originally, a combination 
garment for men consisting of breeches 
and stockings in one. At present, 
identical with trousers. Vulgarly con- 
tracted to "pants". 

Pantella (pan-tel'la). — Long-legged stock- 
ings. 
Panting. — Any cloth from which panta- 
loons may be made. 

Paper Cambric — Glazed lining material 
put up in rolls. Known also at Roll 
Cambric. 
Paper Collar. — Collar of stiffened paper, 
first worn in this country about 1850. 
Paradise. — Feather trimming consisting 
of the long drooping tail feathers of the 
bird of paradise. 



Paraguay. — Drawiiuork inutit's in lace 
and embroidery. 

Paramatta (par-a-mat'a). — A light, 
twilled, finely woven dress fabric, with 
a cotton warp and combed merino wool 
filling, originally brought from Para- 
matta, Australia. 

Parasol. — A light, solid color or fancy 
umbrella or sun shade carried by women 
as a protection from the heat or strong 
light of the sun. 

Passement (pas'ment). — A piece of silk, 
or lace, attached to clothing. Any edg- 
ing or ornamental trimming. Decora- 
tive gimps and braids. 

Passementerie (pas-men'ter-ie). — Heavy 
galloons, edges and embroideries, 
especially those decorated with beads, 
colored silk, metals, etc., used for 
trimmings. 

Pastel Shades. — Very light tints some- 
what opaque in character 

Pastile (pas-teel 1 ). — A round or oval spot 
or decoration on a fabric. 

Pea -Jacket. — A coarse, heavy, short coat 
worn by seamen and imitated in a short 
jacket for boys. 

Pearl. — I small loop on the edge of pil- 
low lace or ribbon. Also caned purl. 

Peau de Cygne (po de seen'). — A soft, 
highly finished silk, closely resembling 
peau de soie. 

Peau de Soie (po de swah). — Silk woven 
like grosgrain, but with a rib so line as 
to produce a plain-woven face with a 
satin effect. The best grades are fin- 
ished alike on both sides. 

Peau de Souris. — Fine, soft woolen goods 
with a slightly roughened surface. 
Pekin (pay-kin). — Stripe patterns which 
run lengthwise of the cloth, in distinc- 
tion from Bayadere. 

Pekin Silk. — A firm, heavy silk woven 
with pekin stripes of contrasting bright 
and dark shades. 

Pelerine (pel'e-rin). — A long, narrow cape 
made of silk or lace and extending +o 
sharp points in front. A term especi- 
ally applied to a form of ladies' neck- 
wear. 

Pelisse (pe-lees')- — A long cloak of fur, 
or lined with fur, once worn by both 
men and women, but later a cloak of 
textile, lined or unlined and worn only 
by women. A soft, twilled woolen 
goods used for cloaks. 
Penang (pe-nang').— A heavy printed 
cotton goods coarser than percale. 



50 



THE DRYGOODSMAN'S HANDY DICTIONARY. 



Pepper-and-Salt. — A textile color effect 
produced by a light ground finely 
dotted with a dark color, or vice versa- 
See Oxford. 

Percale (per-kale' or per-kal'). — Properly 
a closely and firmly-woven cambric dull- 
finished, with some stiffening, but 
abused to include any sort of print. 
Plain white, solid colors and printed. 

Percaline (per'ca-leen). — A piece-dyed, 
fine-thread, plain-woven cotton lining, 
highly calendered or moired; some- 
times having printed designs. 

Perching. — Examining woolen cloth as it 
comes from the loom for imperfections 
of weave. 

Persian. — Design peculiar to Persia, made 
up of a mixture of bright colors. 

Persiana (per-si-a'na). — A thin, plain- 
woven silk fabric printed with large 
flowers. 

Persian Pattern. — Imitation of the pat- 
tern and colors found in cashmere 
shawls. 

Persian Silk. — A soft, thin silk formerly 
used for linings. 

Perslenne (per-si-en'). — An Oriental 
printed muslin. 

Peter Pan. — Applied to a certain style of 
dress for women and children and de- 
rived from the name of a theatrical play. 
Characteristics of the style are the flat 
round collar and turned back broad 
cuffs. 

Petersham. — A heavy, tufted woolen 
cloth ofl the chinchilla class. An over- 
coat once made from the cloth. See 
Ribbon Terms. 

Petits Pois (pe-teets' pwah). — Small 
points or dots. 

Petticoat. — An underskirt worn by women 
and children. 

Pick. — The blow which sends the shuttle 
through the warp; also the thread of 
filling. A double pick is two threads oc- 
cupying the same channel. The num- 
ber of threads or picks of weft to an 
inch determines the relative value of 
the cloth. 

Picot (pee'ko). — A loop on the edge of 
ribbon or embroidery. A small loop in 
the pattern of an edging. 

Piece- Goods. — A trade term used to ; de- 
signate fabrics which are woven 'in 
long lengths intended to be cut to suit 
the consumer. 

Pile. — The elastic, fuzzy face of textiles, 
especially those with a brushed sur- 



face. Velvets and plushes are pile fa- 
brics. 

Pillow-Case. — A washable case or cov- 
ering which is drawn over a pillow. Pil- 
low slip. 

Pillow Casing. — Muslin or linen woven of 
suitable width and weight for making 
pillow cases. 

Pillow Cord. — A fancy cord or small 
twisted rope used for trimming pil- 
lows and furniture. 

Pillow Lace. — See Lace Terms. 

Pillow Sham. — A small, ornamental 
spread laid over a pillow to simulate a 
fancy pillow case. 

Pillow Tubing. — Casing woven in a seam- 
less tube. 

Pilot Cloth. — A heavy, coarse woolen cloth 
dyed indigo blue, used for men's over- 
coats and seamen's tight jackets. 

Pin. — A short, stiff piece of wire, gener- 
ally brass but in cheaper grades of 
steel, tinned, pointed at one end and 
with a rounded slightly flattened head, 
used for fastening together separate 
pieces of anything through which it 
may pass. Enamel Headed Pins are 
made of needles with glass heads. Hat 
Pins are made of both steel and pin 
metal, also silver and gold, and finished 
with ornamental heads. The best brass 
pins are marked in sizes from large to- 
small; BC, MC, SC, F3^4, BB, SW, the 
origin of which marks is not certain. 
Safety Pins are made of wire, twisted 
at the middle to form a spring and 
doubled so the point slips into a guard. 

Pina Cloth fpe'nya). — A delicate, soft, 
semi-transparent fabric, made of the 
fiber of pineapple leaves, having a slight 
tinge of yellow. It is a Philippine pro- 
duct and much in demand for scarfs, 
mantillas, handkerchiefs, etc. 

Pinafore. — An -pron worn by children to 
protect the front of the dress. 

Pineapple Fiber. — A long, creamy, silky 
fiber obtained from the leaves of the 
pineapple plant, used in manufactures 
as a substitute for silk and flax, and for 
combination with other fibers. 

Pine Wool. — A fiber obtained from the 
needles of certain varieties of pine- 
trees in northern Europe and southern 
United States. Can be spun into coarse 
yarn and has a limited use for making 
garments. See Vasquine. 

Pinking. — Stamping a decorative pattern 
of scallops and other designs along the 
edge of fabrics by means of a sharn die 
holding the pattern shape. 



THE DRYGOODSMAN'S HANDY DICTIONARY. 



51 



Pinking Iron. — The die holding the pat- 
term used in pinking. 

Pin Rib. — A pattern In textiles consist- 
ing of a thin cord woven into the sub- 
stance of the cloth. 

Pin-Work. — See Lace Terms. 

Piping. — A cord of fluted trimming for 
dresses. 

Pique (pee-kay'). — A heavy cotton fabric 
having a raised surface of lateral cords 
or welts or a raised lozenge pattern. 

Plaid. — A rectangular woolen garment 
having a tartan pattern, worn by Scotch 
Highlanders. A pattern in a textile 
consisting of colored or black and white 
bars or stripes crossing at right angles. 

Plaiding. — A coarse twilled woolen cloth 
used for blankets and plaids in Scotland, 
and sometimes for clothing. 

Plait. — A fold of cloth, or other flexible 
material pressed or stitched into place. 
Knife plait is very narrow. Box plait 
is two single plaits laid in opposite di- 
rections. See Accordion Pleating. 

Plaiting (play'ting). — The weaving of 
strands into a band. Laying a fabric 
over into folds. Braiding. 

Plastron (plas'tron). — An ornamental 
front of a waist reaching from throat 
to waist; a plain shirt bosom. 

Plating (play'ting). — Covering one fiber 
with a thin coating of another. Silk- 
plated hosiery is cotton inside and silk 
outside. See Knit Goods Terms. 

Plauen (plow'en). — See Laces. 

Pleat (pleet).— See Plait. 

Plisse (plis-say'). — Meaning gather or 
plait and refers to goods having puck- 
ered or shirred stripes formed in the 
weaving. 

Plumeta (plu-may'tah). — A woolen cloth 
made in Spain. 

Plumety (plu'me-ty). — Thin linen or cot- 
ton goods with very small printed or 
woven figures. 

Plumetis. — A sheer fabric on which the 
design is produced by means of loose 
tufts or spots. 

Plush. — A cloth having a cut pile longer 
than that of velvet. Banbury plush is 
woolen plush for furniture. Plush 
stitch is an embroidery stitch consist- 
ing of a loop that may be cut. 

Ply. — A web, layer, or thickness by the 
multiplication of which the quality is 
fixed. 

P. M. — The abbreviation of Premium 
Money. Used by retailers to designate 



merchandise on which a premium will 
be paid to the salesman disposing of it. 

Point. — Tn all textile arts it denotes a 
particular or distinguishing feature and 
may refer to repetitions of such which 
go to determine the quality or grade 
of a fabric. A lace, or string with a 
tag used for fastening articles of dress. 
See Laces. 

Pointllle (poyn-teeD. — Dotted with small 
spots or polka dots. 

Poke. — A pocket or small bag. A style 
of bonnet with projecting front worn 
in the 19th century. A bag-like, loose 
sleeve. 

Polka Dot. — A textile pattern woven, 
printed, or embroidered, made up of 
round spots. 

Polonaise (po-lo-naze'). — A garment for 
women consisting of a waist and over- 
skirt made in one piece. A short fur- 
trimmed garment formerly worn by 
men. 

Pompadour. — A pattern made up of little 
bright-colored flowers, brocaded, em- 
broidered or printed. A shade of pink. 
A style of corsage cut with low, square 
neck. , J 1 

Poncho (pon'cho or pon'ko). — A narrow 
waterproof blanket used by United 
States soldiers, campers, etc., as a pro- 
tection against the weather. A trade 
name for camlet. A blanket with an 
opening in the middle to slip over the 
head. 

Pongee ipon-jee'). — Thin, soft silk fab- 
ric woven from the natural uncolored 
raw silk. The product of a silk worm 
that feeds on oak leaves. 

Pongee Imperial. — A heavy pongee silk 
woven with a taffeta surface. 

Popeline. — French equivalent of Poplin. 

Poplin. — A repped dress fabric construct- 
ed with a silk warp and a wool filling 
heavier than the silk. Sometimes cot- 
ton and linen are substituted in the 
weaving. Double poplin has extra warp 
and filling. Irish poplin is a single 
weave. Norwich poplin is made of silk 
and linen. 

Portiere (por-teer'). — A curtain sus- 
pended in a doorway or opening. 

Postilion. — Two ends or tabs at the back 
of a jacket or waist. 

Poult de Soie (poo de swah). — See Peau 
de Soie. 

Princess. — A long closely-fitting__ gown 
made in one continuous piece. 



52 



THE DRTGOODSMAN'S HANDY DICTIONARY. 



Print. — Cotton cloth decorated with col- 
ored figures, stripes, etc., by means of 
the calico printing machine, or by hand. 
The American calico. 

Printing. — Stamping" or otherwise impres- 
sing designs in solid colors or contrasts 
upon cloth by hand or special machinery. 
Mordants, or fixers, are necessary as in 
all dyeing, and the manner of their em- 
ployment somewhat determines the class, 
or style, of the work, especially in ma- 
chine printing. 

METHODS OF PRINTING. 

There are five methods of printing on 
cloth, viz., by hand block, by machine 
block, by engraved metal plates, by en- 
graved rollers, by stenciling. The first 
three are practically similar in opera- 
tion and result, excepting in details; the 
engraved roller is the almost universal 
method at present; stenciling is not 
printing but painting, although usually 
classed as printing when referring to 
cloth. 

The printing of silk is the least com- 
plicated of textile printing and the goods 
may or may not be especially treated be- 
fore printing, but it must be free from 
any oil or grease. 

Woolen goods must be treated to a bath 
of chemicals before printing, but the sub- 
sequent processes are practically the 
same as with cotton. 

Cotton printing is much more difficult 
than wool or silk, and represents a dis- 
tinct art. The oldest method is by 
blocks and has been employed in the 
Orient since very ancient times — long be- 
fore book printing was conceived — and 
was the only means of making figures 
not embroidered or painted. The design 
is carved on the face of a block of wood, 
a handle is attached to the reverse side 
of the block, the dyes are applied direct- 
ly to the cloth by stamping with the 
smeared block, a separate block being 
necessary for each color. 

Calico printing by machine, with en- 
graved rollers, is classified according to 
the methods employed. Various authori- 
ties make different classifications, some 
describing seven methods, or "styles", 
some ten, but the most modern classifi- 
cation is four "styles", all others being 
considered subdivisions of, or diversions 
from, the four. The four are (1) Direct, 
(2) Combined printing and dyeing, (3) 
Discharge, (4) Reserve, or Resist. 



DIRECT.— The mordant and dye, or 
color, are mixed together and applied 
directly to the cloth, a few colors re- 
quiring special preparation. The cloth is 
afterward dried, steamed, washed and 
finished for market. 

COMBINED. — The most permanent of 
all methods. The mordants are first 
printed on the cloth, which is then al- 
lowed to stand and "age", then "dunged" 
to remove the excess of mordant, then 
immersed in the dye and later cleansed, 
the figure showing only where the mor- 
dant was printed. Under this head comes 
the so-called Madder Style, which is 
sometimes separately classed because on- 
ly two mordant bases are used. 

DISCHARGE.— This style is now used 
in practically all prints having a solid 
color ground with white figures, because 
the beauty of the ground and the clear- 
ness of the figures cannot be excelled by 
any other method. The method is to 
destroy or "take out" in desired designs 
the color in a dyed cloth or to first print 
the entire cloth with a mordant and then 
remove the mordant in spots, or patterns, 
before immersing in the dye bath. 

RESERVE.— Chemicals are first print- 
ed on the cloth to prevent the color 
"taking" in those places when the cloth 
is dyed, or insoluble substances like wax 
and certain clays may be applied in de- 
signs to prevent the fixing of colors on 
those designs, which "reserves" them 
from the action of the dye, or "resists" 
the fixing of the dye when the cloth is 
immersed, the insolubles being removed 
in the finishing. 

WARP PRINTING.— This is employed 
principally in silks — dress silks and rib- 
bons. The threads of warp may be 
tightly stretched on a flat surface and 
the dyes applied by hand by the Block 
method, or by machinery much after the 
manner of printing tapestry carpet wors- 
ted (which see). 

BANDANNA PRINTING.— This is em- 
ployed in printing handkerchiefs, prin- 
cipally, and is really a discharge style of 
printing. The dyed cloth is placed be- 
tween duplicate plates perforated with 
the design, then subjected to a pressure 
sufficient to prevent the discharging 
agent from reaching any portion of the 
goods excepting at the design — the agent 
being allowed to percolate through the 
holes in the plates and carry the dye 
along with it. 






THE DRYGOODSMAN'S HANDY DICTIONARY. 



53 



Prix (pree). — As used in English, means 
price, or cost and is sometimes spelled 
pris; as used in France it means prize, 
or reward. The Grand Prix races in 
France is a time for the display of new 
fashions. 

Prunell. — A heavy, fulled woolen cloth 
with a cashmere twill. 

Prunella (pru-nel'la). — A strong, twill- 
faced woolen cloth used almost entirely 
for shoe uppers, although certain weights 
were formerly used for clergymen's 
gowns. In the satin finish it is practi- 
cally the same as Denmark Satin. Also 
known as Everlasting. 

Pshem. — A style of straw hat worn by 
Spanish women. 

Pulse Warmer. — (See Wristlet.) 

Purl. — An embroidered shirred or puck- 
ered edge, or an edging of small loops. 
The folds in a neck ruche. A seam 
stitch in knitting. A spiral of gold or 
silver wire in lace work. A plait or 
fold in a garment. A 10th century lace. 

Purse. — A small bag or flexible cas2 of 
any material used for containing money 
and usually carried on the person. 

Purse-Silk. — A strong, smooth, silk thread 
used for knitting purses and for em- 
broidery. 

Purse Twist. — Same as above but harder 
twisted. 

Q. 

Quadrille (kah-dre-yuh or quad-ril'). — A 
design showing a succession of small 
squares, like the shepherd check, or a 
4x4 gingham. 

Quality Binding. — A wide worsted band 
or tape, originally intended for carpet 
binding or similar purposes. 

Quarter Blanket. — A small-sized blanket 
used under a horse's harness to cover 
from shoulders to hips. 

Quill. — The large, strong feather of any 
large bird. Used for trimming women's 
hats. A rounded ridge or fold. 

Quilling. — A narrow border of quilled ma- 
terial. 

Quilt. — To stitch together at short inter- 
vals. 

Quilt. — The uppermost bed cover. A 
counterpane. See Crochet and Marseil- 
les. 

Quilted Lining. — A stitched or quilted, 
heavy wadded lining used for winter 
wraps. 

Quilting. — A stout, firm, cotton or linen 
cloth woven in slight patterns. Some- 



times used In place of or for the same 
purpose as cotton pique. The process 
of stitching padded cloths in designs, by 
hand or machinery, for bed coverings 

and linings. 



Rabat (ra-bah'). — French for neckband, 
but now applied to ornamental front 
neckpiece like a bow or cravat. 

Raglan. — A loose, unfitted overcoat reach- 
ing below the knees having large 
sleeves, or a cape and no sleeves. 

Rain Fringe. — A thick fringe made of 
glass beads fastened to :i stout heading; 
used for trimming. 

Rajah (rah-zhah). — A silk fabric of the 
pongee class. 

Ramage. — Patterns following the lines of 
branches and tendrils of plants. 

Ramie (ram'ie). — A Chinese plant of the 
nettle family, a shrubby perennial 
growing to a height of 4 to S feet. The 
name is also applied to the most ex- 
cellent fiber obtained from the inner 
stalk. See Knit Goods Terms. 

Rampoor Chudder. — See Chudder. 

Rap. — A quantity of fiber in a carding 
machine, especially wool. A skein of 
yarn of 120 yards. Same as Lea and 
Lay. 

Ratteen. — A thick, twilled woolen stuff. 
Name formerly used to describe coarse 
and heavy textiles. When made especi- 
ally light and thin were called rattinets. 

Raye (ray-ya) Striped. — A pattern of 
narrow stripes or delicate lines. 

Rebozo (ray-bo'tho or zo). — A long, nar- 
row knitted shawl or scarf, made of silk 
or fine wool, worn wrapped about the 
head and shoulders, and sometimes 
across the face, by Spanish-American 
women. 

Redingote (red'ing-gote). — An outer coat 
with long full skirts, worn by adults of 
both sexes. Sometimes designates a 
certain cut of overdress. 

Reed.— A flexible stay of metal, whale- 
bone or similar material used for dis- 
tending or stiffening a woman's gar- 
ment. That part of a weaver's loom 
which drives the filling close against the 
warp. 

Reefer. — A short, round coat or jacket 
originally worn by sailors and fisher- 
men and adapted to general use by the 
fashions of the 80s. 

Reefing. — The festooning or looping up of 
materials, as in lambrequins or curtains. 



54 



THE DRYGOODSMAN'S HANDY DICTIONARY. 



Renaissance (re-nay-sahns'). — See Lace 

Terms. 
Rep — A fabric having a transverse corded 

surface. Sometimes ornamented in 

large designs for upholstery. 
Repellent (re-pel'lent). — A six-quarter, 

closely-woven woolen cloth rendered 

waterproof in finishing. 
Repousse. — See Lace Terms. 
Reseau. — See Lace Terms. 
Reticule (ret'i-cule). — Originally a small 

net- work bag to be hung on the ai-m and 

made to carry all sorts of small articles. 

Later, any sort of material was used to 

make the bag. 
Revers (re-vair' or re-vere'). — The edge 

of a garment folded over to exhibit the 

inner surface or facing, as, the revers 

of a coat collar. 
Rhadame. — See Satin Rhadame. 
Rhadzimir (rod'si-mir). — A very fine 

dress silk of high finish and extra qual- 
ity, sold in plain colors. 
Rhea or Rhea Grass (re'ah). — Same as 

Ramie. 

Rib. — A ridge or cord on the face of a 
fabric. The welt on a ribbed stocking. 

Riband. — Same as ribbon. Obsolete. 

Ribbon. — A narrow strip or band, usu- 
ally made from silk but may be of wool, 
cotton, or cotton and silk and running 
through many textile weaves. A strand 
of loose fibers. 

RIBBON TERMS. 

Baby R. — Very narrow, including some- 
times both No. 1 and No. 1%. 

China R. — Narrow, light, and used as 
markers in some classes of books. Seam 
binding is sometimes classed as China 
Ribbon. 

Dresden R. — Decorated in printed effects 
that have Dresden china appearance. 

Faille R. — A weave like faille silk. 

Featheredge R. — Having the edge orna- 
mented with loops or knots. 

Ferret R. — Narrow worsted or cotton rib- 
bon for binding. 

Galloon R. — Having metal interwoven. 

Gros-Grain R. — Having a light transverse 
cord. 

Love R. — Thin and delicate and striped 
with satin. 

Lv string or Lutestring R. — Plain, narrow 
and heavy. 

Moire R. — Watered. 



Petersham R. — The heavy, thick belt rib- 
bon usually watered and sometimes 
warp or face-printed. 

Picot R. — Having small loops on the edge, 
sometimes with added stitches. 

Sarsenet R. — Fine and thin. 

Satin R. — With single or double satin 
face. 

Taffeta R. — Glossy, plain-woven. 

Velvet R. — With pile surface. 



Rice Stitch. — A crochet or embroidery 
stitch in imitation of a grain of rice. 

Riding Skirt. — A separate skirt worn over 
the outer dress, by women when 
riding horseback. 

Rigby Cloth. — A waterproof cloth taking 
its name from the process of rendering 
it impervious to water. Rigby cloth 
may be of any texture or weave. 

Rlgolette (rig-o-Ief). — A light scarf- 
shaped wrap or head covering, knit or 
crocheted of wool. 

Robe. — A long, loose, flowing garment 
worn over other dress. Such a garment 
worn as a badge of office or rank. Any 
kind of a women's garment or dress. 
A fabric embroidered or ornamented in 
the piece as a separate pattern. An in- 
fant's long dress usually elaborately 
wrought or decorated. Slumber robe, 
an ornamental blanket, usually knitted 
or crocheted, used to throw over 
couches, chairs etc. A dressed skin or 
pelt. 

Robe de Chambre (robe de shom'ber). — 
A loose gown worn during toilet. 

Robe de Nult (noo-ee). — A night gown. 

Rochet. — A short cloak or linen outer 
garment. 

Rococo (ro-ko'ko). — Embroider;- or deco- 
ration full of delicate and difficult work 
but a jumble of design without mean- 
ing. 

Roll. — Wool rolled in a soft long cylinder 
preparatory to hand spinning into yarn. 
A soft cushion used in hair dressing. 

Roll- Boil. — Producing a luster on woolen 
cloth by bciling while rolled on a cylin- 
der. 

Roll Cambric. — See Paper Cambric. 

Romaine. — A highly finished silk serge in 
bright colors used for linings almost ex- 
clusively. 

Rompers. — A combination play garment 
for a child. Bloomers and waist cut in 
one or joined together. 



THE DRYGOODSMAN'S HANDY DICTIONARY. 



5i 



Rope Silk. — A large slack-twisted silk 
yarn used in embroidery and fancy work. 

Rope Stitch. — An embroidery stitch simu- 
lating the twist of a rope. 

Royale (royal). —A plain colored ribbed 
dress silk, in which the ribs are not 
regular but run into each other. 

Rubber Cloth. — A cloth rendered impervi- 
ous to water by a coating of composi- 
tion containing rubber: used largely in 
sickrooms and for sanitary purposes. 
Rubber sheeting. 

Ruching (roo'shing). — A pleating or shir- 
ring of net, lace, ribbon or other light 
material into bands which are worn in 
the necks and wrists of women's gar- 
ments and in the facings of bonnets. 

Ruff. — A projecting collar or frill, plaited, 
crimped or fluted and greatly stiffened 
with starch; worn around the neck by 
both sexes in the 16th century. Broadly, 
anything puckered or gathered. 

Ruffle. — A plaited or gathered strip of 
any material so made as to leave one 
or both edges free for attachment. A 
plaited frill. 

Ruffling. — A ruffled strip. 

Rug. — A heavy bed blanket. A shawl or 
wrap used for covering the limhs in 
traveling, as. a steamer rug. A carpet 
of any size from a small mat to the di- 
mensions of any room. Oriental Rugs. 
— Rugs of extreme beauty and richness 
of fadeless vegetable dyes made by hand 
in the countries of the Orient, under 
which title come a great variety, each 
having a characteristic and named from 
the locality where woven. In this class 
come all those hand-made rugs originat- 
ing in certain countries or provinces of 
Asia and known by characteristics of 
weave which never vary. 

Fluff Rugs. — Made from soiled or worn- 
out carpet cut into strips and woven in 
a warp. 

Jut. Rugs. — Pile rugs in Oriental patterns 
woven of jute entirely. 

Smyrna Rugs. — Reversible rugs woven of 
strips of chenille. 

Note: — Every variety of floor covering 
made is adapted to the rug form and 
each manufacturer attaches his own se- 
lected names to his product, thereby 
creating a range of designation which it 
is practically impossible to follow through 
and separately define. 

Rumswizzle. — An Irish frieze made from 
undyed wool. 

Runner. — A long strip of matting, car- 



peting, or a long rug used in a hallway 
or an aisle; as, a hall runner. 

Russel Cord. — A rep made of cotton and 
wool, or sometimes entirely of wool. 

Russet (rus'et). — Coarse homemade cloth 
of cotton or wool, so named because of 
the color which it is usually dyed. A 
garment made of such cloth. 

Russian Crash. — A narrow, hand-made 
coarse linen crash of great durability. 

Russian Duck. — A fine white linen can- 
vas. 

Russian Embroidery A kind of embroid- 
ery in formal designs and simple pat- 
terns, sometimes embellished with open- 
work and with applique figures. Large- 
ly used on waists, neckwear and other 
wash articles. 

Russian Veiling. — A large meshed net of 
single or double twisted thread, with 
woven squares and oblongs in place of 
the dots. 



S. 



Sack. — A loose body garment with 
sleeves. Same as Sacque. 

Sackcloth. — Cloth from which sacks may 
be made. Burlap. 

Sacking. — Same as Sackcloth. 

Sacque. — Same as Sack. 

Sagathy. — A light-weight cloth of mixed 
silk and wool or silk and cotton. Same 
as Sayette. 

Sail-Cloth.— Any heavy cloth that may 
be used in making sails. A qoarse- 
threaded woolen dress fabric similar to 
hop-sacking, but of much closer tex- 
ture. 

Samite (sam'it). — A rich and costly silk 
worn in the middle ages, originally with 
a six-strand twisted warp and some- 
times containing gold and silver threads. 
Any heavy satin or lustrous silk. 

Sampler. — A piece of embroidery com- 
posed of one or more detached patterns 
intended to preserve designs or as a 
copy for beginners. 

Sarcenet (sars'netl. — A very soft, fine 
silk of light weight used principally for 
linings. Also written Sarsenet. 

Sarcenet Cambric— A very fine, soft cot- 
ton cambric with little dressing. 

Sardonic. — An ancient linen. 

Sari (sah'ree).— A long cloth which forms 
the principal garment of Hindoo women. 
A long scarf of plain or embroidered 
gauze or very thin silk. 



56 



THE DRYGOODSMAN'S HANDY DICTIONARY. 



Sarong (sa-rong'). — A garment worn by 
natives of both sexes of the Malay 
archipelago consisting of a plain piece 
of cloth which covers the lower part 
of the body from hips to knees like a 
skirt, that worn by women reaching 
lower than the male drapery. The stout 
cotton cloth used for this purpose, a 
printed fabric. 

Sarptar. — Coarse sacking made of hemp. 

Sash. — An ornamental band or scarf worn 
over the shoulders or around the waist. 
Worn by women and children as a por- 
tion of their costume and by military 
and society officers as a badge of dis- 
tinction. In Oriental countries, the 
band of cloth that forms a turban. 

Sash Curtain. — See Lace Curtain Terms. 

Satchel. — A bag in which any small ar- 
ticles are carried for use or conveni- 
ence. Any hand-bag. 

Sateen (sat-teen'). — A soft, twilled cot- 
ton goods having a smooth and shiny 
surface resembling satin, made in many 
widths and qualities, printed and plain. 
Sometimes woven also in worsted. Writ- 
ten also satine. 

Satin. — A stout silken fabric of thick, 
close weave and brilliant luster on the 
face, woven by a method which min- 
imizes the crossing of warp and filling 
threads, the warp being of organzine 
silk and the filling of tram. The highest 
glossy finish is obtained by calendering 
between hot rollers. 

Satin Berber. — A worsted dress goods of 
close-twilled face and woven to pro- 
duce a satin gloss. 

Satin Cloth. — A thin woolen dress goods 
finished with a satin face. 

Satin Cuttanee. — A cotton-back satin of 
heavy weight having bright-colored 
stripes and used principally for up- 
holstery. 

Satin Damask. — A heavy satin woven 
with an elaborate floral or arabesque 
pattern, sometimes raised in velvet pile. 
Also applied to very fine, highly-fin- 
ished table linen. 

Satin de Bruges (de bruzh). — An up- 
holstery goods of silk and wool hav- 
ing a satin finish. 

Satin de Laine. — A light glossy woolen 
dress goods, originally made in Silesia. 
The same as Satin Cloth. 

Satin de Lyon. — A satin having a rib- 
bed or twilled back. The face is some- 
times ornamented with colored threads 
or line stripes. Very commonly used 



for coat and cloak linings, especially 
sleeve linings. 

Satin Duchess. — A popular satin of bril- 
liant gloss and soft feel. 

Satine.— -Same as Sateen. 

Satinet. — A cheap cloth of cotton warp 
and wool or cotton filling' woven with 
satiny surface used in the manufacture 
of ready-made clothing. Commonly 
having a printed face in imitation of 
cassimere. A thin satin. 

Satin Foulard. — A foulard silk with a 
very glossy surface. 

Satin Grec (graik). — A plain-colored 
satin of high quality. 

Satin Jean. — See jean. 

Satin Lisse (lees). — A cotton dress ma- 
terial of fine quality with a satin fin- 
ish and often printed in small colored 
figures. 

Satin Luxor. — A hea.y dress satin hav- 
ing a ribbed surface. 

Satin Marabout (mar-a-boot). — A thin, 
soft millinery satin. 

Satin Mervilleux (mair-va-yuh). — A fine- 
twilled satin in plain colors. 

Satin Regence. — A silk dress material 
with broken surface of fine transverse 
lines. 

Satin Rhadame (rah'dah-may). — A twil- 
led goods of all silk or part cotton, of 
strong texture and bright satin finish. 

Satin Royale. — See Royale. 

Satin Sheeting. — An upholstery and em- 
broidery material with a satii. twill 
and made of all cotton or sometimes a 
waste-silk warp. 

Satin Soleil (so-lay-yuh). — "Sun satin". 
A highly-finished millinery satin hav- 
ing a ribbed or lined surface. 

Satin Stitch. — An embroidery stitch re- 
peated in close parallel lines in order 
to give a smooth, satiny surface on 
both sides. 

Satin Sultan. — An East Indian dress silk 
with satiny surface. 

Satin Surah. — A surah silk with a very 
smooth surface. 

Satin Turk. — A twilled-back silk with a 
satin face; also a name given to extra 
quality of satinet. 

Saxony. — A fine woolen cloth formerly 
used for wearing apparel. A fine 
blanket of superior wool. Saxony yarn, 
found in all yarn stocks, is spun from 
fine Merino wool. The name is de- 
rived from fine wools grown in Saxony. 



THE DRYGOODSMAN'S HANDY DICTIONARY. 



57 



Say. — A fine, thin woolen serge used for 
garments from two hundred to five 
hundred years ago and later for linings. 
A variety of silk. 

Sayette (say-et').— A light, twilled fa- 
brio for linings and furniture cover- 
ings, woven of wool, silk and wool, or 
silk and cotton. A woolen yarn. Known 
also as Half Worsted. Same as Sa- 
gathy. 

Sayon. — A medieval sleeveless jacket 
worn by peasants and soldiers. 

Scarf. — A band or strip of fabric, woven 
or knitted, usually of fine soft texture 
and worn about the neck or head. A 
necktie that presents openspread ends 
after tying. A long, narrow shawl. A 
long, narrow cover for furniture, usu- 
ally embroidered or of linen damask. 

Scarfing. — A narrow bleached cotton or 
linen fabric usually damask woven or 
ornamented with colored patterns, used 
for making scarfs or covers for furni- 
ture. 

Schappe (shap'pe). — A fabric made of 
spun silk not freed from the gum, it 
being the raw, damaged and waste fiber. 

Scintillante (sang-te-yawng or shin-til- 
lan'tay). — Meaning brilliant and applied 
to fabrics of high luster or bright. 
changeable effects, however produced. 

Scotch Plaid. — Same as Tartan. 

Scotch Suitings. — Woolen cloths princip- 
ally for men's wear and heavy coats, 
usually of heavy threads and uneven 
surface, made in various styles of 
weaving. Not necessarily made in Scot- 
land, but usually so. 

Scrim. — A strong, heavy-threaded, open- 
weave cloth of linen or cotton used for 
fancy work and hangings. Often hav- 
ing printed borders and body figures 
when designed for hangings. A light 
linen scrim is sometimes used for sleeve 
linings. 

Scutch — A coarse tow separated from 
flax. 

Scutching. — Preparing or dressing textile 
fibers by beating or separating, as flax, 
cotton, ramie, hemp, silk, etc. 

Sealskin. — See Furs. 

Sealskin Cloth. — A heavy cloth with a 
fur-like pile face dyed in imitation of 
sealskin and employed for women's 
cloaks. The pile is of tussur silk. 

Seam Binding. — A narrow, plain-edged 
silk or cotton ribbon used for covering 
seams or binding raw edges in garment 
making. 



Seaming. — Lace-like openwork placed be- 
tween breadths of linen as an orna- 
ment. A peculiar appearance in knit- 
ting to imitate a seam. Also Seam 
Binding. 

Sebastapol (se-bas'ta-pol). — A twill-face 
fine wool dress goods woven with fine 
lateral ribs, known also as Cut Cash- 
mere. 

Seeded. — A pattern effect consisting of 
small designs strewn over the surface 
of the fabric like scattered seeds. 

Seerhand. — A muslin of Quality and 
weight between nainsook and mull. 

Seersucker. — Strictly a thin linen or lin- 
en and silk fabric woven in stripes of 
pale blue with a crimped or craped sur- 
face, originally from East India. Also 
the common cotton imitation woven 
either plain or witli alternate puckered 
and plain stripes. 

Selvage or Selvedge. — The edge of a tex- 
tile fabric having the filling threads re- 
turned to prevent ravelling. The colored 
list to be torn off or concealed in making 
the cloth into garments. 

Sennit. — Plaited straw or ^rass for hat 
making. 

Sequin. — A small coin shaped or disk-like 
metal nmament, usually in iridescent 
colors, perforated for stringing and used 
in dress trimmings and millinery orna- 
ments. 

Serge. — A twilled fabric woven of worsted, 
silk or cotton and comprising a long 
range of styles and finishes, many of 
them confined to certain manufacturers 
and mills. 

Serviette (ser-vi-rf or ser-vyet'). — French 
for table napkin. 

Shade. — Anything which screens from or 
intercepts heat or light. In America a 
curtain of any material, used at a win- 
dow to exclude light; equivalent to the 
English blind. 

Shade Cloth. — Flexible. opaque cloth 
variously treated and prepared for mak- 
ing window shades. 

Shadow Silk. — Another name for change- 
able silk in which the warp is of lighter 
tint or color tha . the filling, causing a 
shifting luster. 

Shadow Stitch. — See Lace Terms. 

Shadow Stripe.— A stripe in a sollo-color 
textile made by a changed weave. 

Shag. — Cloth having a rough or long nap. 

Shagreen. — A book-binding cloth with 
granulated surface in imitation of sha- 
green leather. 



58 



THE DRYGOODSMAN'S HANDY DICTIONARY. 



Shairl (shahrl). — A fine cloth woven from 
the hair of a Thibetan goat. 

Shaker Goods. — The cloths, yarns and 
knit goods produced by communities of 
Shakers and noted for honest manufac- 
ture and durability. The name is un- 
fairly applied to many imitations. 

Shaker Flannel. — A white underwear flan- 
nel of all cotton warp and all wool 
filling. 

Shako. — A military hat. 

Shalli (shal'ly). — Same as Challi. 

Shalloon (shal-loon') — A light loosely- 
woven worsted cloth twilled on both 
sides, used principally for linings. 

Sham. — A piece of cloth, plain or orna- 
mental, used to simulate a pillow on a 
made-up bed; also a fancy edge to 
simulate the edge of a sheet. English 
gaiters or spatterdashes. Rarely, a 
dicky. An underskirt which has its 
concealed portion made of a cheaper 
material than tho rest of the dress and 
overdress. 

Shantung. — A heavy grade of natural 
color pongee silk. 

Shaps. — Same as chaparejos. 

Shawl. — A wrap consisting of a square 
or oblong cloth or other material, for 
covering the shoulders and upper part 
of the body for ornament and protec- 
tion. Cashmere shawls are made from 
the soft wool of the Thibet or Cashmere 
goat, and are beautiful and intricate in 
design. Cashmere is also applied to 
shawls made from very wide twilled 
cashmere-weave worsted cloth made 
especially for the purpose and dyed 
black, plain color, or in white or cream. 
Shetland shawl is knitted or crocheted 
by the inhabitants of the Shetland Is- 
lands, but the natme is also applied to 
shawls knitted or crocheted from ordin- 
ary Shetland yarn: The beaver, blank- 
et, broche, paisley and other kinds are 
named for their style of weave or place 
of manufacture. 

Shawl Mantle. — A sleeveless wrap made 
from a shawl and resembling a 
burnoose. 

Shawl Material. — A soft, strong cloth of 
silk and wool having woven patterns 
similar to Oriental shawl designs. 

Shawl Pattern. — Same as Persian Pat- 
tern. 

Sheer Thin, fine, open. Applied to light 

fabrics. 

Sheet. — The bed-covering which comes 
next to the body of the sleeper. 



Sheeting. — Cloth suitable for making in- 
to bed sheets. Rubber Sheeting — Fine 
cotton cloth made impervious to water 
by a coating of rubber; also known as 
Hospital Sheeting. 

Shepherd Plaid. — A small, even check in 
any goods, either woven or printed 
usually in black and white. Sometimes 
the goods having such a pattern. Also 
called Shepherd Tartan. 

Sherryvallies. — Overalls of thick, heavy 
material worn as a protection while on 
horseback. 

Shift. — A woman's undergarment; a 
chemise. 

Shintyan (shin'ti-an). — The baggy, loose 
trousers worn by Mohammedan women, 
shirred at the waist and knees. 

Shirring. — Dressmaking term. Drawn or 
puckered together by cords or threads. 

Sh'rt. — An undergarment. usually of 
knitted fabric, made of silk, ramia, linen, 
wool or cotton; also a semi-outergarment 
worn by men, made of wool, cotton, 
linen, or silk. 

Shirt Frill. — A frill or ruffle formerly 
worn by men, attached to the shirt 
front. 

Shirt Front. — The exposed portion of the 
shirt; known also as the bosom. Rarely, 
a dicky. 

Shirting. — Materials intended for use in 
making shirts. 

Shirt-Waist. — A waist for women and 
children having the cut and style of a 
shirt. A blouse. 

Shoddy. — A fiber manufactured from 
shredded woolen rags and yarns. See 
Mungo. Cloth made from shoddy fiber. 

Shooting Coat. — A short, stout coat worn 
by sportsmen, and containing many 
pockets. 

Shop. — Originally, a booth where the 
goods displayed for sale were also manu- 
factured. At present any place where 
goods are sold. The English equivalent 
for the American "store". 

Shorage. — Duties paid on goods when 
landed. 

Short Clothes. — The dress of young chil- 
dren who have outgrown infants' long 
clothes. 

Short Hose. — A style of hose that does 
not reach the knee, worn by the High- 
landers, and at times by young children. 
Socks or Half Hose. 



THE DRYGOODSMAX'S HANDY DICTIONARY. 



59 



Shot. — A changeable effect produced by 
warp of one color and filling of another. 
Changeable, Chatoyant. Scintillante. 

Shoulder Knot. — A braided knot of cord, 
lace or ribbon worn on the shoulder. 

Shroud. — A garment for the dead. Some- 
thing which covers or protects. 

Shuttle. — The device which carries the 
filling thread to and fro in weaving. 

Sicillenne (sis-lll'yan). — A mohair of 
heavy weight, either plain or with 
fancy pattern. A kind of ribbed silk. 

Sign Cloth. — A loose-woven bleached 
muslin loaded with size and mangled 
for use in printing signs. 

Silence Cloth. — Heavy, thick, brushed, 
felted or quilted padding to be used on 
a dining table underneath the cloth. 
Table padding. 

Silesia (si-le'shia). — A smooth-finished, 
fine-twilled, light-weight cotton goods 
in plain colors used for waist linings. 
Formerly, a sleazy, glazed cloth manu- 
factured in Silesia, Prussia. 

Silk. — The principal silk of commerce is 
a soft, fine thread produced by the 
larvae of Bombyx mori, commonly known 
as silk worms, that feed on the leaves 
of trees, principally the mulberry. The 
many special names applied to silk 
threads and yarns are derived from 
methods and processes of manufacture. 
Cloth made from silk fiber. 

Silk Floss. — See Kapok. 

Singeing. — Removing the fuzzy nap from 
the surface of textiles by means of ap- 
plied heat. All fabrics, when taken 
from the looms, are covered with sur- 
face hairs or fuzz which must be re- 
moved if a smooth, clear surface is de- 
sired. Gassing. 

Sindon. — Any Oriental fabric of very fine 
texture. A kind of wrapper or flowing 
garment. 

Sisal Hemp. — A very strong fiber pro- 
cured from the leaves of the Agave, 
used in the manufacture of cordage. 

Size. — Word used to designate the 
measurements of a garment, the gauge 
of thread or yarn: the measurements of 
hats, shoes, gloves and other merchan- 
dise that requires numbering to dis- 
tinguish dimensions. Number. Sizing. 

Sizing.— A glutinous preparation of 
starch, flour, etc.. applied to fabrics to 
render them smoother and stronger, or 
apparently so. Size. 

Skein (skane).— A fixed length of any 
yam or thread of wool, linen, cotton. 



silk, or other fiber as It comes from the 
reel. A skein of cotton Is eighty threads 
fifty-four inches in length; seventeen 
skeins to a hank. Same as Rap and Lay. 

Skirt.— The part of a coat or other gar- 
ment that hangs below or from the 
waist; a woman's petticoat; that part 
of a woman's dress reaching from the 
waist downward. The fustanelle worn 
by Greek men. 

Skirt (divided).— A skirt in two parts 
which resembles a pair of loose trousers. 

Skirt Binding. — Any narrow braid, bias 
strip, or other similar material used for 
binding the bottom of a skirt for pro- 
tection of the cloth. 

Skirt Braid. — A braid made for binding 
the bottoms of skirts. 

Skirting. — Any fabric intended or suit- 
able for making women's underskirts 
or petticoats. 

Skull Cap.— A brimless, light weight cap 
worn indoors as a protection against 
drafts of air. 

Slash. — A strip of tape or lace worn on 
a non-commissioned officer's sleeve. A 
slit or gash in a garment -which pur- 
posely shows other cloth underneath. 

Sleeping Bag. — A large bag. usually of 
fur, into which a person may crawl and 
be protected from cold -while asleep. 

Sleeping Suit. — A garment covering the 
entire body, used for children's sleeping 
garment. 

Sleeve. — That rar of a garment -which 
covers the arm. For bishop, lawn, 
leg-o'-mutton, mandarin, poke, trunk 
sleeves see general definitions. 

Slicker. — See Oilskin. 

Slip. — The frock of a child. A plain un- 
der dress of colored material worn with 
a semi-transparent dress. A pillow 
case. An underskirt or petticoat. 

Slip-On. — A loose overcoat like a cloak. 

Slip-Over. — A woman's nightgown which 
has no fastening, is cut low in the neck 
and can be slipped over the head. 

Slipper. — See Shoe Terms in Appendix. 

Small-Wares. — Practically the same as 
Notions and is self-explanatory. 

Small Clothes.— Close-fitting knee 
breeches. 

Smock. — A woman's undergarment; a 
chemise; a shift. 

Smock- Frock.— A frock or blouse of 
coarse linen or cotton, resembling a 
long tailed shirt, worn by European 
peasants and field laborers. The waist 
is closely shirred or puckered. 



«0 



THE DRYGOODSMAN'S HANDY DICTIONARY. 



Smocking. — Shirred work, as used on a 
smock-frock. 

Smock-Linen The materials from which 

smock-frocks are manufactured. 

Snood.— A style of Scotch fillet. 

Sock. — A knitted or woven foot covering, 
having a short leg. Half-hose. 

Soleil 'so-lay'il).— A descriptive term 
used to designate the high, brilliant fin- 
ish of any textile. 

Spatterdash. — A legging reaching to the 
knee, worn as a protection from mud, 
etc. Spat. Overgaiter. 

Spencer. — An overcoat for men, made 
shorter than the under coat. Also, a 
woman's garment made in imitation. 

Spindle. — In hand-spinning, the bar, on 
which is wound the thread from the dis- 
taff. The slender rod on a spinning 
wheel for twisting the thread and on 
which the twisted thread is wound. In 
machine spinning, one of the steel pins 
of the spinning frame upon which a bob- 
bin is placed to receive the spun yarn. 

Spinning. — The act of drawing 1 out fiber 
and twisting it into thread for the pur- 
pose of preparing yarns. 

Splasher. — A screen placed behind a 
wash bowl as a protection for the wall. 

Sponge Silk. — A spongy, porous knitted 
cloth, resembling coarse crash, made of 
the poorest grade of spun silk. 

Spool. — The wooden cylinder on which 
thread is wound, known in England as a 
reel. The contracted equivalent for "a 
spool of thread", as, "a scpool of 60". 
Stamin (stam'in). — A light woolen cloth: 
linsey woolsey. Used during the 17th 
and ISth centuries. Also written Tam- 
ine. 

Stamped Linen. — Linen stamped with de- 
signs in outline to be embroidered. 
Staple. — A seat of trade or an exchange. 
The product or commodity for which 
a locality is noted, as cotton is a staple 
of Georgia, wool is a staple of Oregon. 
A well-established article of trade or 
commerce, as muslin, thread, flour, etc. 
The fiber used for spinning. The char- 
acter of the fiber, .as long staple cotton, 
fine staple wool. 
Stay. — A strip of stiffening material in- 
serted in a corset or waist for the pur- 
pose of securing rigidity. An old style 
of corsets. 
Stephane (stef'a-ni). — A headdress re- 
sembling a coronet, high in front and 
receding toward the back. 
Stitch. — Any peculiar arrangement of 



threads which forms the basis of a pat- 
tern or design in needlework. 
Stock. — A stiff band covered with satin, 
cambric, or similar material, worn as a 
cravat or neckband. Any high, orna- 
mental stiffened collar. 
Stockinet. — Elastic fabric, flat or tubular, 
made on a knitting machine. 
Stocking Yarn. — H e a v y. slack-twisted 
woolen yarn made for knitting socks, 
stockings, etc. 

Stola. — A loose outer garment worn by 
Roman matrons. 

Stole. — A loose robe reaching to the 
ankles. An embroidered band worn by 
priests and clergymen. A band of 
trimming for dresses. A fur collar with 
long pendant front bands. 
Stomacher. — An ornamental article of 
dress for the breast and stomach, worn 
in the 15th and 17th centuries. 
Store. — A place where goods are kept for 
sale; equivalent to the English "shop". 
Storm Collar. — A flaring collar of fur or 
other warm material attached to a 
heavy garment or detachable as an or- 
nament or accessory. 
Stovepipe. — A high silk hat. 
Strand. — A fiber, a filament, a small cord 
or string. 

Strap. — A narrow band of flexible ma- 
terial with an attached buckle, used 
for binding or drawing together. 
Stuff. — In general, textiles made of any 
fiber, but as commonly used the word 
refers to goods made of wool. 
Sublime. — See Gloria. 

Suede (swayd). — Leather finished on the 
wrong or flesh side, or having the outer 
grain shaved, leaving an undressed Bur- 
face. Also Swede, or Swedish. 
Suit. — A set or combination of garments 
each complete but so constructed "as to 
be worn together as a whole. 
Suiting. — A fabric intended to be used for 
making into suits. 
Summer Silk. — See Louisine. 
Sunbonnet. — A head-covering for women 
and children made of stiff or stiffened 
material, with a projecting front and 
sides over the forehead and sides of the 
face and with a cape to protect the 
back of the neck. 

Sunshade. — Anything used as a shielu or 
covering from the sun's rays. A para- 
sol with the handle hinged so that the 
expanded top may be adjusted to any de- 
sired angle. 



THE DRYGOODSMAN'S HANDY DICTIONARY. 



Gl 



Super. — See Carpet Terms. 

Supertasse (su-per-tas'). — A frame for 
holding a ruff in position. 

Supertotus. — A long, loose, outer coat 
of the middle ages made very full, -with 
large sleeves and sometimes an attached 
hood. 

Surah (soo'rah). — A soft, strong, twilled 
silk of great durability. Satin surah is 
one witl. a very glossy surface. 

Surat tsoo-rat'). — Coarse, short cotton 
grown near Surat, Bombay. A coarse 
cloth made from surat cotton. 

Surcoat. — An outer coat or garment. 

Surgeons Cloth. — See Cheese Cloth. 

Surplice. — A loose, white linen vestment 
with very broad sleeves, worn by clergy. 

Surtout tser-toot' or ser-too'). — A man's 
overcoat of the frock style with long 
skirts. A coat made witn large sleeves. 

Suspender. — One of a pair of straps run- 
ning over the shoulder, worn by men 
for holding up the trousers; generally 
used in the plural. Braces, galluses, 
bretelles. 

Swallowtail. — The name sometimes ap- 
plied to a man's dress coat. 

Swansdown. — The down of the swan 
made into a lining or trimming for wo- 
men's garments. A soft, thick woolen 
cloth of very fine quality. Sometimes 
Canton or cotton flannel. 

Swanskin. — The unplucked skin of the 
swan, used as a lining or trimming. A 
variety of fine, soft, heavily-brushed 
twilled flannel. A woolen blanket used 
by engravers. 

Swatch. — A strip of cloth used as a 
sample. 

Swathe. — A soft wrapping, as for the 
neck. 

Sweater (swet'er). — A rib-knitted woolen 
jacket, made with or without opening in 
front, to be buttoned or laced. 

Swiss. — A fine, sheer muslin. 

Swlssing. — A process of calendering cloth. 

Syrian Lace. — See Lace Terms. 

T. 

Tab. — A strap, strip, loose band, or ton- 
gue, forming an appendage to a garment. 
An aglet. 

Tabard. — A cloak of former times; a 
heavy coarse garment; an ancient gar- 
ment worn by knights. 

Tabaret. — An upholstery fabric of altern- 



ate stripes of moire and satin surface, 
sometimes in different colors. 
Tabby. — Any fabric finished with a 
watered surface, as moreen; a garment 
made of such goods. 

Tablnet (tab-i-net').— An upholstery ma- 
terial made with a warp of silk and a 
filling of wool, woven in birdseye pat- 
tern and watered. 

Table Cloth. — A table covering of any 
sort. Generally speaking, a cotton or 
linen damask spread upon a dining 
table previous to the serving of a meal. 

Table Cover. — A covering for the top of 
any table, other than the linen cloth of 
the dining table. 

Table Damask. — See Damask. 

Table Felt.— See Silence Cloth. 

Table Linen. — All the class of cloths be- 
longing to the dressing or service of the 
dining table. 

Tablier (tab-li-ay'). — French for apron. 
Used to describe ornamental panel 
front and back drapery on women's 
dresses. En Tablier signifies in the 
shape or style of an apron. 

Taffeta (taf'e-ta). — Originally, plain- 
woven silks, or mixed goods of silk and 
wool, or silk and linen, at present a thin, 
glossy plain silk. The word has been 
used to designate many fabrics < untain- 
ing silk in principal part. 

Taglioni (tal-yo'ni). — A style of overcoat 
once popular. A manifold skirt in vogue 
early in the 19th century. 

Taille (tale). — The waist of a dress or 
suit, or its shape or style. 

Tailor's Trimmings. — The materials used 
by tailors for making, lining and finish- 
ing men's clothes. 

Tailor-made. — A term designating close- 
fitting garments for women. 

Tambour Frame (tam-boor). — A light 
wooden frame originally circular but 
now sometimes of other shapes on which 
may be stretched the material for tam- 
bour embroidery. So-called from re- 
semblance to a drumhead. 

Tambour Cotton. — Thread used for tam- 
bour embroidery. 

Tambour Needle.— A hook used in tam- 
bour embroidery. 

Tambour Stitch. — The loop-stitch of tam- 
bour embroidery. 

Tambour- Work. — Embroidery on any 
cloth which has been done on a tam- 
bour frame; usually in ornamental pat- 
terns of colored leaves and flowers. 



62 



THE DRYGOODSMAN'S HANDY DICTIONARY. 



Tamis (tam'is). — A sieve, strainer, or 
bolter made of cloth or hair. 

Tammy, or Tamin, or Tamine. — A thin 
twilled woolen or worsted stuff, highly 
glazed. 

Tamlse (tam-eez'). — Any one of several 

thin, woolen fabrics. 
Tarn O'Shanter. — A tight-fitting woolen, 

knitted Scotch cap. 
Tape. — A narrow, stout strip of woven 

cotton or linen, used for innumerable 

purposes. 

Tape-Measure. — A length of tape marked 
in feet or meters and sub-divisions 
thereof, made in various lengths and 
sizes and usually of linen or steel. 

Tapestry (tap'es-try). — A woven fabric in 
which the design is formed by stitches 
across the warp put in by needle or 
spindle; an art product of ancient origin, 
woven upon a hand-loom. Any fabric 
to which the pattern is applied by cross 
stitches; modern tapestries are made 
on power looms. Cluny Tapestry. — A 
strong, heavy variety of tapestry, usual- 
ly woven in ecclesiastical designs and 
intended for use as hangings or cur- 
tains. The materials used are wool 
and silk. Gobelin Tapestry. — Pictures 
wrought in colors in the loom. 

Tarboosh. — A red cap with tassel of dark- 
colored silk. 

Tare. — The difference between gross 
weight and net weight represented by 
the receptacle in which the gooas are 
packed. 

Tarlatan. — A thin, sized, cotton cloth of 
a net-like weave| made in white, black 
and plain tints. 

Tarpaulin. — Any large waterproof cloth 
used for a covering to protect from 
storm or damage by weather. A sail- 
or's waterproof hat. 

Tartan. — A cloth of colored woolen yarns 
woven in checks or plaids. Originally 
used as the distinctive marks of Scot- 
tish clans. The garment made of tar- 
tan cloth. 

Tassel. — A pendant ornament in the 
shape of a tuft of strands or of twisted 
threads of fiber or metal. 

Tatting. — A thread-work trimming of 
lace-like appearance done by hand with 
the aid of a shuttle. 

Tayo. — An apron-shaped garment worn 

by South American Indians 

T-Cloth. — A coarse, heavy, plain cotton 

cloth manufactured in Great Britain 



for Oriental markets. So named be- 
cause of the large "T" branded upon it. 
Tea Cloth. — A linen or damask covering 
a tea-table or a tea-tray. In England. 
a cloth used in cleaning up tea-dishes. 
Tea Gown. — A loose afternoon wrapper. 
Teasel. — A prickly burr used in cloth 
manufacture for raising a nap. 
Teasel Cloth. — A name sometimes ap- 
plied to soft, long-napped cotton goods. 
Teaseling. — Raising a nap by use of 
teasels in a machine, or any other sub- 
stitute process to the same end. Gig- 
ging. Napping. Brushing. 
Teck Scarf. — A style of ready-made 
scarf or necktie. 
Telar (tell-are). — Of web-like tissue. 
Teneriffe ( ten-er-eef). — A lace stitch; a 
form of drawnwork in which the wheel 
pattern predominates. 
Tennis Flannel. — See Outing Clotn. 
Tent Cloth. — Cotton canvas, duck or 
other material especially adapted for 
manufacture into tents, awnings, etc. 
Tentering. — Stretching cloth i~ a frame 
where it is held by tenter hooks. An 
operation of finishinr". 
Terry Cloth. — A coarse, heavy, pile fa- 
bric in which the loops are uncut. 
Turkish toweling. 
Tete de Negre (tate de nay'ger). — A 
term used to denote "niggemeaa , or 
knotted and twisted effects on the sur- 
face of textiles. 

Textile. — A word comprehending all fa- 
brics of whatever fiber which are 
woven in a loom. 

Texture. — That which is woven. The 
disposition and connection of the 
threads which make up a textile fa- 
bric; as loose texture, fine texture, etc. 
Thibet (ti-bef or tib'et). — A stout twilled 
woolen cloth, for heavy wear. A cloth 
woven from goats' hair. 
Thread. — A long, twisted strand of fiber 
or a fine wire of metal. 
Tick. — The cover or case of a mattress. 
Ticking. — A heavy, twilled cotton or lin- 
en cloth, usually cotton, in blue and 
white or fancy colored stripes, 30, 36 
and 72 inches wide, originally made for 
bed ticks and mattresses. 
Tidy. — A protective covering for the back 
or the arms of furniture. See Anti- 
macassar. A child's pinafore or apron. 
Tie.— A cravat, a necktie. In the plural, 



THE DBTGOODSMAN'S HANDY DICTIOXAKV. 



63 



bonnet strings or similar fastening de- 
vices on clothing. 

Tlenda (tee-en-dali). — Spanish for shop. 

Tiffany — A thin, transparent silk once 
worn as dress goods. Also applied to 
a thin sized linen. A specially prepared 
thin cotton cloth used in making arti- 
ficial flowers. 

Tiftik — Turkish mohair. 

Tights. — Knitted garments which cling 
closely to the flesh. 

Tile. — A high silk hat. 

Tillot. — A bag or sack of thin, glazed 
muslin used to cover dress goods ready 
for market. The usual covering of 
pieces of broadcloth. 

Tinsel. — Very thin glittering bits of 
metal used as ornaments or as parts of 
the composition of a fabric. A fabric 
containing tinsel. 

Tinsel Embroidery. — Embroidery on thin 
materials with tinsel thread. 

Tippet. — A fur or knit woolen protector 
for neck and shoulders, of varying 
depths. 

Tissue. — Originally a thin fabric contain- 
ing gold and silver threads or figures 
embossed in colors. A gauze-like silk 

for veiling. Any woven fabric. 
Toboggan. — Cap worn by tobogganers: a 

toque. 
Toga (toe'gah). — The outer garment of 

a Roman citizen, originally worn by 

both sexes but later by men only, the 

women's garment being the stola. Made 

of wool or silk. 
Togs. — An outfit of clothing taken col- 
lectively, especially fine clothing. 
Toile (twahl). — The French word for 

cloth. Used in many combinations by 

manufacturers. 

Toile (twah-lay). — The closely work- 
ed portion of lace. Design distinguished 

from ground work. 

Toile Ciree (twahl see-ray'). — Oil cloth 

of very fine quality. 
Toile Colbert (twahl col-bare'). — A cotton 

canvas used for embroidery. 
Toile de Alsace (twahl day alsahs). — A 

thin linen dress material. 
Toile de Coton (twahl day cot'tong). — 

The French name for calico or print. 
Toile de Religieuse (twahl day reh-lee- 

huse). — The French name for nun's 

veiling. 
Toile de Vichy (twahl de vis'shy). — A 

thin dress goods of linen, sometimes 

striped. 



Toilet. — Any cloth or cape thrown over 
the shoulders while making toilet. A 
bag or cloth sack for holding soiled 
clothing. A person's style of dress or 
a specific costume. 

Toilet Cap. — A cap worn during the mak- 
ing of toilet. 

Toilet Cloth.— A cover for a toilet table 
or dressing-bureau. Also called dresser 

scarf. 

Toilet Cover. — A cover for toilet table 
or the articles placed upon it. 
Toilet Quilt. — A quilted toilet cover. 

Toilinette (toi-li-nef). — A textile of silk 
or cotton warp and woolen fillinr, plain- 
colored or loom-figured; also a. kind of 
German quilting. 

Tolson (toy'son). — The fleece of a sheep. 

Toit. — A cushion or hassock. 

Toque (toke). — A head covering which 
comprises many shapes and ornamenta- 
tions. 

Torchon (tor-shon). — French for dish- 
cloth. See Laces. 

Tortoise Shell (tor-tis).— The outer shell 
or epidermal plates of a variety of sea- 
turtle. Ornamental articles made of 
tne shell. 

Toupee (too-pee). — A tuft; a small wig. 

Tournay (tur-nay. — A woolen upholstery 
fabric decorated with printed designs; 
named for Tournai, Belgium. 

Tow. — The short, coarse flax or hemp 
fiber separated from the finer part in 
the operation of hackling or swingling. 
It is used in the coarser linen yarns. 

Towel. — A linen or cotlon cloth used for 
drying by wiping. An altar cloth. 

Toweling. — Any fabric used for making 

towels. 
Town Made. — See under Fabric Gloves, 

under Glove Terms. 

Trabea (tray-be-ah). — The purple striped 
toga of Roman kings. 

Tracing-Cloth. — A thin linen, sized on 
one side, highly calendered and trans- 
parent enough to enable tracings or 
copies of designs to be made upon it. 

Tracing Wheel.— A small toothed wheel 
hung on a handle, used for tracing lines 
and patterns on goods, especially in 
garment making. 

Tracker. — A name applied to a long 
strip of matting or carpeting used in a 
hall or an aisle. Same as Runner. 



64 



THE DRYGOODSMAN'S HANDY DICTIONARY. 



Tram. — A silk filling yarn twisted or 
spun according to a fixed rule. 
Travers (tray-vers). — A pattern of cross- 
wise stripes. See Bayadere. 
Tray Cloth. — A napkin of any shape for 
covering a tray. 
Tricot (tree-ko). — A hand-knitted woolen 
yarn fabric, or the machine-made imita- 
tion. A soft, slightly ribbed dress flan- 
nel simulating the surface of the knit 
fabric. 
Tricot Stitch. — A stitch used in crochet- 
ing. 

Trousseau (tru-so'). — A woman's com- 
plete wedding outfit. 

Trunk-Hose. — Full bulging breeches 
reaching from the waist to the middle 
of the thigh. Worn in the ji6th and 17th 
centuries. See Knit Goods Terms. 
Trunk Sleeve. — A full, bulging sleeve. 
Tub Goods. — Any goods, especially sum- 
mer dress goods intended to stand 
washing. 

Tuck. — A flat fold fastened by stitching 
as an ornament or for the purpose of 
shortening the length to accommodate 
the wearer's size. 

Tucker. — A frill of lace or fine cloth for 
the neck and shoulders to be worn with 
a low cut bodice as in style 200 years 
ago. 

Tucking. — Ornamental parallel rows of 
tucks; usually made on fine 1 white goods 
and used as ornamental trimming. 
Tulle (tewl). — Plain, fine and thin open- 
work silk net, sometimes containing or- 
namental figures. 
Tulle Embroidery. — Embroidery done on 
tulle. 

Tunic. — Originally a Greek and Roman 
undergarment having short sleeves and 
fastened with a belt, worn by both sexes. 
An ornamental overdress shorter than 
the undergarment, sometimes reaching 
to the knees and belted at the waist. 
A short belted waist. 
Tuque (tewk). — A Canadian winter cap. 
Turban. — A hat for women and children 
brimless, and having a round crown 
imitating Turkish turbans. 
Turkey Red. — A vegetable dye derived 
from Madder. Cloth dyed with turkey 
red. So-named because of the Madder 
dye once brought from Turkey. 

Turkish Towel A heavy, rough cotton 

or linen towel having a rough surface 

of uneven loops similar to Terry Cloth. 

Turk's Satin. — A stout silk or silk and 



wool material woven with a satin face 
and twilled back; used for vests, shoes 
and linings. 

Turnover. — Lingerie cuffs and collar 
bands, which appear as though they 
are turned back from the under cuff 
and collar. 

Tusser or Tussur Silk. — The most durable 
of all silk fibers and comes from the 
"wild" worms of Asia, especially those 
feeding on oak leaves. 

Tweed. — A soft, light, twilled woolen or 
cotton and wool tabric for men's cloth- 
ing, usually woven of two-colored yarns. 

Twill. — The result of manipulating the 
threads in weaving so as to make lines 
or ridges diagonally across the cloth. 

Twist. — A strong, tightly-twisted thread 
or cord. 

U. 

Ulster. — A long, loose overcoat reach- 
ing nearly or quite to the ankles, some- 
times belted at the waist, worn by men 
and women; originally made of frieze 
from Ulster Ireland. 

Underclothing. — All apparel under the 
outside garments; usually referring to 
those that touch the skin. 

Underskirt. — An inner skirt beneath the 
dress skirt; a petticoat; the main skirt 
over which an overskirt or other arap- 
ery may be arranged. 

Underwear. — Any piece or all of the un- 
derclothing worn by men, women and 
children. 

Undervest. — An undershirt as usually de- 
signated for women and children. 

Undress. — Ordinary attire as distinguished 
from conventional dress. 

Uni (u-nee). — In textiles, denoting a uni- 
form, regular face without rough effects 
or loom figures. 

Uniform. — A style of dress for a com- 
pany or body of people cut in a fash- 
ion or style whereby the wearers are 
distinguished as belonging to that com- 
pany or body. 

Uniform Cloth. — Cloth designed or woven 
for making into uniforms. 

Union Goods. — Cloths woven by means of 
the combination of two or more different 
fibers — cotton and wool, cotton and 
linen, silk and wool, etc. 

Union Suit. — An underwear garment hav- 
ing shirt and drawers combined in a 
single piece. See Knit Goods Terms. 

Upholstery. — Textiles used for decorative 



THE DRYGOODSMAN'S HANDY DICTIONARY. 



65 



purposes as well as coverings and hang- 
ings. 

Utrecht Velvet (oo-trekf). — A heavy mo- 
hair plush, used for upholstering rail- 
way carriage seats and heavy furniture. 
Named from Utrecht, Holland, the first 
place of manufacture. 

V. 

Vair (vahr). — A fur used for the gar- 
ments of nobility in che 14th century, 
supposed to be squirrel. 

Valance (val'ans). — A silk or silk and 
wool damask used for upholstery pur- 
poses. Also called Valencia. A short 
curtain about a frame, as a bed or in 
front of a window. 

Valentia (val-en'shi-a). — Same as val- 
ance; also a cotton and wool or cotton 
and silk material, used for men's fancy 
vests; also a ribbed or fancy loom- 
figured all-cotton goods for men's vests. 

Valois (val-wah')- — A style of dressing 
the hair in vogue about 1850. 

Vandyke. — A large point which is one of 
a row, or series, making up an edge of 
trimming. A very wide collar or cape 
with points or scallops laying out on 
the shoulders. 

Vasquine (vas-keen). — Same as basquine. 
A coarse, heavy cloth made of pine 
needle wool; also known as vegetable 
flannel. See Pine Wool. 

Vegetable Ivory. — The seed of a tropi- 
cal palm of South America, which re- 
sembles ivory when polished. See 
Ivory Nut. 

Vegetable Silk. — A glossy, silky fiber ob- 
tained from the seed pods of a South 
American tree and used for stuffing pil- 
lows, mattresses, cushions, etc. Silk 
Floss. 

Veil. — A piece of cloth of any texture used 
to cover the face, for concealment, 
ornament, or as a screen or protection. 
A part of the dress of a nun. A por- 
tion of the head dress of a bride. A 
cloth cover which conceals any object. 

Veiling. — Any tissue from which veils 
may be made. 

Velours (vel-oor' or vel-oorz'). — Any fa- 
bric so woven as to resemble velvet in 
its surface. An upholstery plush of 
mixed cotton, linen and mohair and 
sometimes also containing silk. Wool 
velours is a heavy cloaking. A pad used 
to smooth silk hats. 

Velours Albigeols (al-be-zhaw). — A vel- 
vet woven in narrow stripes. 



Velours du Nord.— A durable, long-piled 
velvet made especially for outer gar- 
ments. 

Velours Ecrase (eek-krah-zay).— Same as 
Miroir Velvet. 

Velours Russe (rus'say). — A fancy velvet 
having colored diagonal stripes. A silk 
and wool dress goods of diagonal weave. 

Veloute (vel-loo-tay').— Presenting a vel- 
vety appearance. 

Veloutlne (vel-loo-teen').— A corded wool 
dress goods with a velvet finish. 

Velure Same as Velours. 

Velvet.— A closely woven silk pile fabric 
on which the loops are cut. Properly 
it is of all-silk but the all-silk goods is 
usually designated as "silk back" to dis- 
tinguish it from cotton back goods. 

Velveret. — An inferior cotton-back velvet. 

Velveteen. — An all-cotton velvet. 

Velveted — Having a surface finished like 
velvet. 

Velveting. — Velvet goods as a whole. The 

nap, or pile, of velvet. 
Velvet Pile — The pile face of velvet. A 

pile like velvet. 

Velvet-Satin. — A satin having a pattern 
or design in velvet pile. 

Venetian (ve-nee'shan). — A weave of 
rounded twills. A cloth intended for the 
wear of both sexes, woven according to 
weights needed. A style of hose or 
legging like Galligaskins. A heavy braid 
or tape used in Venetian blinds. 

Venetian Bar. — In embroidery, a bar cros- 
sing an open space, made by covering 
a thread with buttonhole stitch. 

Venetian Embroidery. — Embroidery on 
linen in which the spaces between the 
figures are cut away and then joined by 
thread, giving a lace-like appearance. 

Vest. — A short, sleeveless jacket worn 
under the coat; a waisceoat. A V- 
shaped front in the waist of a woman's 
dress. An undervest. 

Vesting. — Fabrics from which vests may 
be made. 

Vestment. — An official garment of clergy. 
Any priestly garment. An altar cloth. 
An article of dress. 

Vest Padding.— A heavy cotton lining, 
glazed on one side and finished with a 
nap on the other. Once extensively 
used for stiffening the bottoms of dres- 
ses. Known also as dress padding. 

Vicuna (vee-kew'nya). — A neavy woolen 
dress goods, usually twilled and finished 



66 



THE DRYGOODSMAN'S HANDY DICTIONARY. 



with a soft nap. A cloth made from the 
delicate wool of the South American 
Vicuna. A soft napped men's suiting 
and overcoating. Also spelled, Vicugna 
and pronounced same as Vicuna. 

Vigonia. — Same as Vicuna. 

Vigoureux Ovee-goo-roh'). — A worsted 
material printed in a melange effect in 
colors. 

Vogue (vohg). — The prevalent style, mode 
or fashion. Usually written after in, as 
in vogue. 

Voile or Veiling. — A textile of rather 
loose weave, similar to nun's veiling, 
but of heavier and harder yarns. 

Volupere. — A head covering worn by wo- 
men in the 14th century. 

W. 

Waban Netting. — A heavy thread net- 
ting of large mesh, used for ornamental 
draping. 

Wadding. — Carded cotton or wool in thin 
sheets for padding or lining. 

Waist. — A sleeveless knitteu or woven 
undergarment worn by children to 
which skirts, drawers and other lower 
garments may be attached. The por- 
tion of a woman's dress from the waist 
upward. A workman's blouse buttoned 
in front and held at the waist by a band. 

Waist Band — A belt or girdle worn round 
the waist. The band to which garments 
hanging from the waist are attached. 

Waist Cloth. — A piece of cloth worn 
around the waist, passing over the hips 
and under the thighs. Hot country 
dress. 

Waist Coat. — A garm|ent. commonly 
sleeveless, worn by men underneath the 
coat. A similar garment worn by wo- 
men. Same as vest. 

Walstcoatlng. — Cloths from which waist 
coats are intended t • be made, usually 
of fancy weave and containin color. 

Waisting — Materials from which waists 
may be made, sometimes referring to 
allover lace or embroidery. 

Waist Torque (tork). — A twisted girdle, 
formerly worn. 

Waldemar. — A cotton dress goods re- 
sembling velveteen. 

Wale. — A raised line or ridge above the 
surface of the cloth. 

Wallet. — A pocketbook or large purse 
containing separated compartments. 

Wambals. — A garment quilted with wool, 
cotton, or tow. 



Wammus (wam'us). — A thick, loose, 
warm, knitted, or flannel jacket, similar 
in shape to a cardigan and usually worn 
with a belt. 

Wardrobe. — The en'ire outfit of garments 
of any one person. 

Wares. — Articles of commerce; goods; 
merchandise. 

Warehouse. — A house for storing re- 
serve or unsold goods. 

Wareroom. — A room in which may be 
stored wares or merchandise or where 
they may be offered for sale. 

Warp. — The threads of yarn running 
lengthwise of a fabric and through 
while the filling is woven. To stretch 
or arrange warp yarns in the loom pre- 
paratory to weaving. 

Warp Stitch. — An embroidery stitch in 
which the warp threads are exposed. 

Wash Blonde. — A fine-meshed, light, 
plain, bobbinet, or Brussels net. 

Watering. — Prodjucing a n undulating 
sheen on the surface of silk, cotton or 
worsted textures by means of moisture, 
heat and high pressure. See Moire. 

Waterproof. — Any fabric so treated as to 
be impervious to water. 

Waterproofing. — The process of render- 
ing textiles waterproof. 

Watteau (wot-toe). — A style of dress or 
costume copied from the pictures of 
Watteau, a 17th century painter. 

Wauk (wawk). — A Scotch word meaning 
to full cloth. 

Weaving. — To intermingle or unite in a 
fabric two or more yarns by the opera- 
tions of a loom. 

Web. — A textile fabric in the piece, be- 
fore or after taking from the loom — a 
web of cloth. 

Webbing. — Heavy, stout tape of various 
widths and textiles used for purposes 
where strength is desired. 

Weed. — A badge worn as a token of 
mourning; in the plural, the entire garb 
of a mourner. 

Weft. — The cross threads, or filling 
threads, of a texture taken collectively. 

Weighted. — Made heavy in the dyeing by 
the addition of minerals or other heavy 
agents for the purpose of deception; a 
practice especially used in silk cloth 
production. 

Whalebone. — The elastic horny substance 
in the form of plates obtained from the 
heads of a certain species of whales and 



THE DRYQOOOSMAiVS HANDY DICTION A I :v. 



67 



used In small strips or "bones" for 
stiffening: in garments. 
Whipcord. — A raised twill or cord run- 
ning diagonally across the face of a 
fabric. Any style of goods woven with 
such a cord or rib. 

Whipstitch. — An overcast stitch used in 
finishing a raw edge or the edges of 
a seam. 

White Goods. — An indeterminate expres- 
sion which may include all white cotton 
and linen goods. 

Whitney. — See Chinchilla. 

Wicking. — A large, loosely-twisted cord 
originally made for use in making 
candles. 

Wide-Awake. — A soft, broad-brimmed 
felt hat. 

Wigan (wig'an). — A stiff, canvas-like fa- 
bric used for stiffening in garments, 
named from Wigan, England. 

Willowing. — Cleansing cotton, hemp, silk 
and wool of dirt and other foreign mat- 
ter by means of a willowing machine, 
before making into yarn. So-called be- 
cause the hand-beating was done with 
a willow. 

Willow Plume. — Ostrich feathers of very 
long fibers, which are tied and otherwise 
treated so they hang in drooping wil- 
low fashion. Also known as shower 
plume. 

Wimple. — A linen or silk cloth wrapped 
in folds around the neck, under the chin 
and over the head, leaving only the face 
exposed. Seldom worn at present ex- 
cept by nuns. 

Windsor Tie. — A style of necktie consist- 
ing of a wide soft silk ribbon or band, 
of sufficient length to go around the 
neck and be knotted in front in a large 
bow. 

Woof. — The cross-threads of a fabric; the 
weft or filling. The texture of a fabric. 
Sometimes, the cloth. 

Woolen. — A fabric made of wool prepared 
by carding instead of combing. 

Worsted. — The yarn prepared from the 
best long-staple wools well-combed and 
hard twisted. A cloth made from such 
yarns. 

Wrapper. — A single outside garment in- 
tended to cover the whole person. A 
loose-fitting working dress, having the 
skirt and waist in one piece. A knit 
undershirt for women and children which 
buttons down the entire front. 



Wrist Band. — The band in which a sleeve 
terminates at the wrist, especially on a 

shirt. 

Wristlet. — A knitted band worn on the 
wrist for ornament or protection. 



Yacht Cloth (yaht). — A light, fine woolen 
cloth with a serge twill and flannel fin- 
ish. Used for summer clothing. 

Yachting Cap (yaht'ing). — A cap made of 
cloth of any kind, having a full, over- 
hanging crown. 

Yardage. — The collective number of yards 
in several pieces of material, as, the 
yardage In a case of ginghams. 

Yard Goods. — A term used to distinguish 
goods in the bolt from those which are 
cut into certain lengths for special pur- 
poses. 

Yarn. — Any fiber spun into thread for 
weaving or knitting. Sizes or numbers 
are based on fineness as determined by 
the length of thread in a pound. See 
Tables. 

Yerga. — A coarse woolen cloth used for 
horse-cloths. 

Yoke.— A band to which are pleated or 
gathered parts of a garment compelling 
them to hang in a designed shapely man- 
ner. 

Yoking.— Materials, or fabrics, adapted 
for the making of yokes. 

Yorkshire Flannel.— A flannel made of 
undyed wool. 



Zanella (zah-nel'lah).— A light cotton and 
worsted fabric of twilled weave used 
for umbrella covers and sometimes for 
garment linings. 

Zephyr (zef'er).— A woolen or worsted 
yarn of light weight used in fancy work. 
A word frequently used to denote very 
light and fluffy texture. 

Zibellne (zib'e-lin).— A dress goods which 
imitates the zibeline fur; often the hairy 
effect is lessened by shearing the sur- 
face. A camel's hair. 

Zoster.— An ancient Greek belt or girdle. 

Zouave Jacket (zu-ahv')-— A short jacket, 
not reaching to the waist and rounded 
in front. 

Zucchetta (tsuk-ket'tah).— The skull cap 
worn by an ecclesiastic. 



6!s THE DRYGOODSMANTS HANDY DICTIONARY. 



c/ippendix 



Containing Tables and Explanations of Measurements and Sizes Used in Dry Goods 
and Allied Lines, and a Defined List of Shoe and Leather Terms. 



BUTTONS. 

Button sizes are indicated by both the English and the French line measure- 
ments, the former being in most common use, but the latter of not uncommon oc- 
currence, especially on fancy buttons and buttons coming from the European coun- 
tries. The English lines are an ancient button measure and are usually marked 
and reckoned in multiples of 2, as 10, 12, 14, and so forth, a line being 1/40 of an 
inch, or 40 lines to the inch. The French lines, or lignes, are marked in con- 
secutive numbers and halves, as 4>&, 5, 5}&, and so forth, the French ligne being 
1/11 of an inch (.08887). Reduced to fractions of an inch, the two systems repre- 
sent approximately the following face measurements, or diameters: 

English lines 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 

Fractions of an inch 3/16 & 5/16 11/32 13/32 7/16 % 9-16 19 32 21-32 

French lignes 2^ 3 3% 4 4% 5 5& 6 6% 7 

Fractions of an inch 7/32 Vi 5/16 11/32 13/32 7/16 %' p.7-32 9-16 % 

From the above tables it will be seen that the two systems correspond to each 
other* very nearly as follows: 

English 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 

French 2% 3 3% 4 4^ 5 5% 6 6% 7 



COTTON YARNS AND SPOOL COTTON. 

Cotton yarns are numbered from a basis formed in reeling by which a skein is 
made up of 80 threads 54 inches (1% yards) long, also called a lea, or rap. The 
numbar of the yarn is determined by the weight of hanks made up of 7 skeins of 
S40 yards each; one hank weighing a pound is denoted No. 1 and all multiples are 
based on that — for instance, 40 hanks! weighing one pound would be No. 40 and 
would contain 40 times 840 yards of yarn, and so on through the yarn numbers. 
The following table of equations will illustrate the determination of sizes: 

1 lea, or rap=54 inches, or 1% yards. 

1 skein=S0 leas=120 yards. 

1 hank=7 skeins=560 leas=840 yards. 
No. 1 yarn= 1 hank = 7 skeins= 560 leas= S40 yards = 1 pound avd. 

No. 10 yarn= 10 hanks= 70 skeins= 5.600 leas= 8,400 yards=l pound avd. 
No. 50 yarn= 50 hanks= 350 skeins= 2SO.O0O leas= 42,000 yards=l pound avd. 
No. 200 yarn=200 hanks=l,400 skeins=l, 120,000 leas=16S,000 yards=l pound avd. 

And likewise for all numbers of cotton yarns. 

The original basis of sewing thread, or spool cotton, sizes was formed when 
it was spun and twisted into three-cord for hand sewing. When three strands of 
No. 40 yarn were twisted together, the size of the thread was called No. 40, al- 
though it actually measured three times as large around as No. 40 yarn. All other 
sizes were likewise determined. When six-cord began to be made to fill a de- 
mand for a smoother cotton for machine work, the numbers were not changed, 
but the yarns used were twice as fine, leaving the actual size of the thread the 
same as before when only three stands were used instead of six. No. 40 thread, 
when of three cords, or strands, is made of No. 40 cotton yarns, while it is made 
up of six No. 80 yarns twisted together when it is six-cord, as is most of the spool 



THE DRYGOODSMAN'S HANDY DICTIONARY. 



69 



cotton of the present. All other sizes are likewise produced in American mills, but 
the foreign thread makers change their basis at No. 60, which Is made of No. 110 
yarn instead of 120; 70 is made of 120; SO of 130; 90 of 140; 100 of 130, and so on. 



GLOVES. 

Standard glove sizes are arrived at by 
securing the actual inch measurement of 
the hand around the widest part. French 
glove sizes range one-quarter size 
smaller than standard. Thus, suppose 
the hand measures G inches, the standard 
size would be 6, and the French size 5?4; 
in other words, a 6 French glove is in 
size equal to a 5% standard size. 

The French or blind system of glove 
sizes, used with the idea of properly 
fitting the hand without the customer 
understanding the size, and similar to 
the so-called French sizing of shoes, is 
not generally utilized, but has its ad- 
vantages. The system employed by a 
prominent importer is as follows: 



Glove Size 

5% 

5% 

6 

6% 

6% 

6?i 

7 

7% 

7% 

7% 

8 



Blind Number 
Y526 
Z525 
A624 
B623 
C622 
D621 
H720 
1719 
K71S 
L717 
MS16 



CHILDREN'S GLOVE SIZES (AVER- 
AGES). 

Size 00 for children of 2 to 3 years. 

Size for children of 3 to 5 years. 

Size 1 for children of 4 to 6 years. 

Size 2 for children of 5 to S years. 

Size 3 for boys of 6 to 9 years. 

Size 4 for boys of 8 to 11 years. 

Size 5 for boys of 10 to 13 years. 

Size ti for boys of 11 to 14 years. 



HOSIERY. 

Hose and half-hose must measure in 
inches from the toe to the heel the same 
number as the size. Thus, size 8 must 
measure 8 inches, and so on. This rule 
is invariable. 

The following is a list of hosiery sizes 
used in connection with the correspond- 
ing sizes of shoes, but it should be borne 
in mind that all feet are not of the 
same thickness — a slim foot may not re- 
quire so large a stocking as a "fat" foot 
of the same length, no provision for this 
being made in manufacture. 





For Children. 


Size of 


Size of 


Age. 


Hose 


Shoes 






/ 


1% 






3 to 6 months 


4V4 


2 






1 year. 


5 


2% 


to 


3% 


1% years. 


E% 


4 


to 


5% 


2 years. 


t> 


6 


to 


7% 


3 to 4 years. 


6*2 


8 


to 


9% 


6 to 6 years. 


7 


10 


to 


11% 


7 years. 


7% 


12 


to 


13% 


8 to 9 years. 


8 


1 


to 


2 


10 to *1 years. 


S% 


2% 


to 


3% 12 to 13 year*. 


s 


4 


and 


4% 14 years. 


o % 


5 


and 


5% 




10 


6 


and 


6% 




10% 


7 


and 


7% 




11 


8 


to 


9 





For Women. 

Size of Size of 

Hose. Shoes. 

8 2 to 3 

8% 3% or 4 

9 4% or 5 

9% 5% or 6 

10 6% or 7 

10% 7% or 8 

For Men. 
Size of Size of 

Hose. Shoes. 

9% 5% or 6 

10 6% or 7 

10% 7% f 8 

11 8% cr 9 

11% 9% or 10 



THE DRYGOODSMAN'S HANDY DICTIONARY. 



LINEN YARN AND THREAD. 

Linen spinning' is based differently 
than cotton. The base of linen sizing, 
or numbering, is a lea, or cut, of 300 
yards. 

2% yards of yarn make a thread. 
120 threads make a lea — 300 yards. 
The numbering is according to tha 
number of leas in a pound. When 
8 leas weigh 1 lb. avoirdupois it is 
known as Ss, or No. 8, 
leas weigh 1 lb. avoirdupois 

known as 20s, or No. 20, 
leas weigh 1 ll>. avoirdupois 

known as 25s, or No. 26, 
leas weigh 1 lb. avoirdupois 
known as 50s, or No. 50, 
and so on. 
In the making of linen thread the num- 
ber of the thread is according to the 
number of the yarn from which it is 
twisted: three cords of No. 25 yarn 
twisted together making No. 25 thread, 
and likewise through all the numbers. 
The spinning of the fine yarns has to be 
done wet at a temperature of 120 de- 
grees. 



20 



50 



it 



it 



U is 



METRIC SYSTEM. 

As explained in general definitions, the 
metric system has the only accurate and 
unchangeable unit; it is the adopted 



standard of international commerce and 
the national standard of practically all 
commercial countries. 

The following are the equivalents in the 
Metric System of the ordinary store 
measures of length, capacity and weight. 

Length. 
1 meter (m) =39.37 inches, or nearly 3 

feet 3% inches. 
1 decimeter (dm) =3.937 inches. 
1 centimeter , cm) =0.3937 inch. 
1 millimeter (mm) =0.03937 inch. 



Capacity. 



3V4 



1 kiloliter (kl) =264 + gallons. 

1 hectoliter (hi) =26.4 gallons, 2 bu., 

pecks. 
1 decaliter (dl)= 2.64 gallons, 9 + quarts. 
1 liter (1)=1 + -quart. 



Weight. 



1 millier (t) =2,204.6 pounds, avoirdupois. 

1 quintal (q) =220.46 pounds avoirdupois. 

1 kilogram (kg) =2.2 pounds avoirdupois. 

1 hectogram (hg)=3.52 ounces, avoirdu- 
pois. 

1 decagram (dg) = 154.32 grains troy, .353 
ounces, avoirdupois. 

1 gram (g) =15.43234874 grains, troy. 

1 decigram (deg) =154.32 grains, troy. 

1 centigram (eg) =0.15432 grains, troy. 

1 milligram (mg) =0.015432 grains, troy. 



RIBBONS. 



The origin of ribbon numbering is not certain and matters little, as manufac- 
turers are a law unto themselves and the sizes, or numbers, do not indicate a fixed 
base of measurement. The French ligne, or line, is slightly less than one-eleventh 
of an inch (.08887) and is the only fixed measurement. When ribbons are sold by 
the ligne the prices are always based on ten-yard lengths, and five cents a ligne 
means fifty cents a piece for a ribbon that measures ten lignes in width, $1.10 for a 
ribbon that measures 22 lignes, and so on. A ribbon may measure less than the 
average width of the number with which it is marked and be apparently low in 
price when offered by ligne measurement to a buyer not familiar with correspond- 
ing measurements, which must be considered. When the widths as numbered 
measure as indicated in the following table, the comparison of lignes and numbers 
is easy; but this computation is made only up to No. 16. The table is to be read, 
"When number 1 measures 7/32 inches it is 2M lignes wide," and so forth. 

When Number 1 1% 2 3 4 5 7 9 12 16 

Measures Inches 7/32 11/32 7/16 % 23/32 % 1% 119-32 129-32 2 11-32 

It Is Lignes Wide 2% 4 5 6% 8 10 13 18 22 25 

To determine the ligne measurement of any other width, measure the distance 
across the face of the ribbon and divide by .08887, or 1/11, the former figure being 
tha most accurate. 



THE DRYGOODSMAN'S HAND'S DICTIONARY. 



SILK YARNS AND SILK THREADS. 

spun silk yarns are numbered, or 
sized, according: to the number of hanks 
of S40 yards each contained in a pound 
ayoirdupois; twenty hanks to the pound 
being known as No. 40, 30 being known 
as No. 60, and so on. Raw or thrown 
silk has a different numbering which is 
allowed to vary according to the purpose 
for which the yarn is to be used and 
also somewhat according to the practices 
of the manufacturers. A so-called inter- 
national agreement on yarn sizes is in 
existence and officially recognized by 
Germany and France but it has no bind- 
ing features and is not closely adhered to 
by manufacturers, the most of them pre- 
ferring their old forms. 

Silk thread — sewing silk and machine 
twist — are manufactured from "thrown" 
silk, so-named from an old Saxon de- 
rivation meaning "to twist". The fila- 
ments of silk are drawn from the co- 
coon and reeled by the filature in groups 
of two or more at a time into one 
thread; this becomes the raw silk of 
commerce, when put up in hanks or 
bundles. This raw silk is "thrown" in 
the gum. or before cleansing, for manu- 
facture into sewing silk and machine 
twist. Throwing is winding, cleaning, 
doubling, twisting, rewinding and reel- 
ing the raw thread. 

Thrown silk is known as singles, tram 
and organzine. Singles is a single fila- 
ture thread twisted; tram is two or 
more singles twisted only sufficiently to 
hold them together; organzine is two or 
more singles twisted in the opposite di- 
rection from their original twist. 

"Sewing silk" is of two strands rather 
lightly twisted and was originally the 
thread of commerce. At present, com- 
mercially, all two-strand silk threads 
are sewing silk and include embroideries, 
knitting, rope. etc. 



"Machine twist" is the silk on spools 
ordinarily termed silk thread and is 
composed of three strands of thrown silk. 
It was first manufactured in 1852 to 
meet the requirements of the sewing ma- 
chine for something smoother than the 
old sewing silk. The machine twist is 
stretched by special machinery before 
finishing to insure smoothness and even- 
ness — a very important process — after 
which it is cleansed and dyed. 

The sizing of machine twist is noi 
based on any reference to textile thread 
sizes but has an irregularity all its own. 
The lettering is according to each manu- 
facturer's own schedule, although there 
is slight variation. The thread is put on 
spools according to weight and the yard- 
age of the size, or letter, In an ounce 
varies according to the thickness and 
strength of the silk; long yardage repre- 
sents a weaker thread than short yard- 
age. Most manufacturers prefer giving 
quality to mere length and false lettering. 
The point of starting is letter A. being 
the ordinary, or medium, size, and in 
the best threads should measure 900 yards 
in full twelve-ounce goods: the sizes 
should increase and decrease by hun- 
dred-yard lengths, approximately, and 
the table of sizes should read: 

000=1250 to 1300 yards in an ounce. 
00=1110 to 1150 yards in an ounce. 
= 1000 yards in an ounce. 
A= 900 yards in an ounce. 
B= S00 yards in an ounce. 
C= 700 yards In an ounce. 
D= 600 yards in an ounce. 
E= 500 yards in an ounce. 
EE= 400 yards in an ounce. 
F= 300 yards in an ounce. 
FF= 200 yards in an ounce. 
G= 100 yards in an ounce. 
Manufacturers state these figures to be 
approximate but not absolute. 



THE DRYGOODSMAN'S UAX11V DICTIONARY. 



Trade Leather Terms 



Acid Tanned. — (See "Tanning".) 

Belting. — Usually bark tanned cowhide, 
used in various thicknesses tor ma- 
chinery belts. 

Bloom. — (See "Spewing".) 

Box Calf. — A proprietary leather having 
a grain of rectangularly crossed lines. 

Buff. — A split side leather, coarser than 
"glove grain", but otherwise similar. 

Cabaretta. — Tanned sheepskin of superior 
finish used for shoe stock. 

Calfskin. — Skins of neat cattle of all 
kinds, from Texas long-horns to the 
sacred cattle of India weighing up to 
15 lbs. 

Chrome Tanned. — (See "Tanning".) 

Coltskin. — The skin of a colt, which is 
thin enough to use in its entirety, with 
such shaving as is given all hides in 
tanning. Makes a firm basis needed for 
patent leather and is much used for this 
purpose. 

Composition. — Small scraps that accumu- 
late about tanneries and factories, 
ground up and mixed with a paste or 
kind of cement and flattened into sheets 
by pressure and used as insoles and in 
other parts of various grades of shoes. 

Cordovan. — As used now, the term is ap- 
plied to a grain split from the best 
and strongest part of a horsehide. 

Cowhide. — Used to refer to hides of 
cattle heavier than "kips", which run 
up to 25 lbs. each. 

Dongola. — Heavy, plump goatskin, tanned 
with a semi-bright finish. 

Enamel. — Leather that is given a shiny 
finish on the "grain" side as distingu- 
ished from "patent leather", which is 
usually finished on the flesh side, or 
surface, of a split. 

Glazed Kid.— (See "Kid".) 

Glove Grain. — a light, soft finished split 

leather, for women's or children's shoes 

or topping. 

Goatskins. — (See "Kid".) 
Grain. — (See under "Calfskins".) — The 

hair side of the skin in which show the 

marking of texture caused by pores, etc. 
Harness Leather.— Similar to belting, and 

made from hides heavier than kips. 
Hides. — Those skins of cattle which are 

above 25 lbs. in weight; also skins of 

horses, etc. ; a trade distinction only. 



Hemlock T?nned. — (See "Tanning".) 

Kangaroo. — The skin of this animal 
makes splendid leather, of firm texture, 
but there are kangaroos by nature, and 
kangaroos that become so by postmor- 
tem brevet in the tannery. 

Packer Hides. — Those taken off in the 
large slaughtering houses. Rated slight- 
ly higher in price, because of the 
greater care and skill used in taking 
them off. 

Kid. — This term is applied to shoe leath- 
er made from the skins of mature 
goats. The skin of the young goat or 
kid is made into the thin, flexible 
leather used in making kid gloves, 
being too delicate for general use in 
shoes. The goats from which comes 
the supply of leather used in this coun- 
try for most ladies' fine shoes, many 
children's shoes and an increasing num- 
ber of men's shoes, are not of the com- 
mon domesticated kind known in this 
country, but are wild goats or allied 
species partially domesticated, and are 
found in the hill regions of India, the 
mountains of Europe, portions of 
South America, etc. The process of 
tanning is naturally quicker than the 
tanning of heavier hides, and all varie- 
ties of tannage are used, the chrome 
methods having come into very gen- 
eral use. There are many kinds of 
finish given, such as glazed, dull. matt, 
patent, etc. One quality that dis- 
tinguishes goat leather, the "kid" of 
shoe making, is the fact that the fibers 
of the skin are interlaced and inter- 
locked in all directions. Instead of 
ripping straight through, like a piece 
of cloth, or splitting apart in layers, 
as sheepskin will do when made into 
leather, the kid holds together firmly 
in all directions. The finished skins as 
they come from the tannery, by what- 
ever process they may be put through. 
are sorted for size and quality, a num- 
ber of grades being made. This sort- 
ing is repeated in the shoe factory, 
sometimes repeatedly, the effort being 
made to secure in each lot or grade of 
shoes made as nearly perfect in uni- 
formity of texture and quality and 
weight as possible. This is a work of 
importance, and one requiring good 
practical knowledge of leather. No two 
skins come through exactly alike. They 
vary as to fineness, thickness and size, 
some are scarred by careless skinning; 



THE DRYGOODSMAN'S HANDY DICTIONARY. 



73 



some have had spots caused by care- 
less handling before they reach the 
tannery; some are given too strong a 
dose of chemicals in the tanning it- 
self; all these things are considered in 
all the many sortings that take place 
in their progress through the tannery 
and the shoe factory, from the raw 
skin to the finished product, regard 
being had to the quality and kind of 
shoe it is desired to produce. (The 
same sorting, it may be said, is done 
with all leathers.) 

Kip.— (See Canskin.) 

Matt. — A term applied to dull-finish kid, 
as distinguished from "glazed", etc. 

Morocco. — Originally a leather made in 
the country of that name, a sumac- 
tanned goatskin, red in color, such as 
is still made there and in Europe and 
used for book-binding. The name is 
applied also to leather made in imita- 
tion of this, and in general to heavy, 
plump goatskin, used for shoes. 

Monkey Skin. — This has a peculiar 
grain, and is: among leathers that may 
be classed as fancy. It is often imi- 
tated. 

Oak-tanned. — (See Tanning.) 

Ooze. — A chrome tan calfskin treated on 
the flesh side in such a manner that the 
long fibers are loosened and form a nap 
surface. Made in many colors. 

Pancake. — One of many "artificial leath- 
ers", so-called, made from leather 
scraps, shaved thin and cemented to- 
gether under heavy pressure. 

Patent Leather (kid, calf, etc.)— There 
is no longer any patent on the prin- 
cipal processes tnat are required to 
make what is known as patent leather, 
which might be described with fair ac- 
curacy by calling it japanned or var- 
nished leather. Calfskin is shaved on 
the flesh side to uniform thickness, and 
successive coats of liquid black var- 
nish are applied, the first coats being 
dried and rubbed down, so as to work 
the liquid thoroughly into the fiber of 
the leather. The last coat is applied 
with a brush, and is allowed to dry in 
direct sunlight, which seems to be es- 
sential. Various formulas are used in 
making the varnish, vegetable gums 
and oils forming important ingredients. 
Like any other such coating, it is liable 
to crack. The really conscientious 
dealer can always guarantee patent 
leather shoes to do that sooner or later, 
if worn. Kid and coltskin have been 
largely used during the past year as a 



basis for patent leather. The former 

is more elastic, and It seems possible 
to give it some degree of porosity, thus 
removing one serious objection to the 
use of patent leather for shoes, name- 
•v: its air-tightness — an objection 
urged by consideration of both hygiene 
and comfort. 

Satin Calf.— A grain split, stuffed with 
oil and smooth finished. 

Seal Grain. — Usually a flesh split, with 
an artificial "grain" or kind of in- 
dented tracery, which is stamped or 
printed on the finished leather. 

Sheepskin. — Used largely for linings and 
for cheap shoes for women and chil- 
dren. It is too soft and weak in tex- 
ture for heavy wear, and is liable to 
split and tear. 

Skins. — (As distinguished from "hides." 
— See Hides.) 

Sole Leather. — Made from the heavier 
hides of cattle, and tanned with nak 
or hemlock bark (various other vege- 
table extracts sometimes being used). 
The oak-tanned is preferred, and may 
be known by its light color. The hem- 
lock-tanned is of a red shade. In 
"union tanned" hides, both oak and 
hemlock are used, and the result is a 
compromise in both color and quality. 
Spewing. — Shoes in stock sometimes be- 
come coated with a grayish white pow- 
dery substance, that looks like mildew. 
This formation on leather that is not 
fully seasoned is called "spewing". 
and the deposit is called "bloom". It 
can readily be wiped off, and does not 
indicate any serious defect or trouble 
with the leather. It is not a mildew 
or growth, but apparently an exuda- 
tion of materials used in tanning. 
Splits. — Are what the name implies, 
split leather. A thick hide, often be- 
fore the tanning process is completed, 
and after being cut in two down the 
back into "sides," is run through a 
machine between rollers and imping- 
ing upon a sharp knife edge, that 
splits it into two or more sheets. The 
knife used might be described as a 
flexible razor three feet long, and must 
be kept perfectly straight and as keen 
as it can be made. Its care and use 
requires a considerable amount of skill. 
and tanners say that to teach a new 
splitter the trade costs them at least 
a thousand dollars in damaged and im- 
perfectly split leather. A split from 
a heavy hide is. of course, not as good 
as the whole of a lighter hide, light 



THE DRYGOODSMAN'S HANDY DICTIONARY. 



enough to make leather of the thick- 
ness required, without splitting. Hides 
above the weight of "kips" (25 pounds) 
are used, ordinarily, and the leather 
that is intended for use in shoes re- 
ceives various finishes and is known 
by various names, such as seal grain, 
buff, glove grain, oil grain, satin calf, 
russet, plow shoe, etc. 

Suede. — A trade term applied to kid 
skins, finished on the flesh side. Some 
leather makers have applied this term 
to velvet finished calfskins on the grain 
side, which is not regarded as entirely 
correct. Made in many colors. 

Tanning. — It is impossible to give in 
small space a description of all the de- 
tails of tanning, but the basic principle 
is the treatment of the raw skin with 
tannic acid or some similar substance 
having an astringent or "puckery" ef- 
fect. The hides or skins, of whatever 
kind, are first thoroughly soaked and 
cleaned, large ones usually being cut 
in two up the back into "sides" for 
convenient handling. The next step is 
the removal of the hair, which is ef- 
fected either by a sweating process, the 
hides being hung up in warm rooms 
and kept there almost to the beginning 
point of decomposition, or by soaking 
in a solution containing lime. As soon 
as the hair follicles are sufficiently dis- 
solved hy either process as to permit of 
the hair or wool being easily pulled or 
scraped off, the hides are worked 
through machines or by hand. Further 
soaking in "vats" of solutions to coun- 
teract the lime follows, and the skins 
are ready for the tanning proper. In 
the methods that involve the use of oak 
or hemlock bark or other vegetable ex- 
tracts, the hides are placed in vats of 
solution of varying strength, and worked 
hack and forth for a number of weeks. 
T'pon completion of this stage, the stock 



receives its final dressing and is stuffed 
with oil or grease, dyed black, polished, 
etc., according to the results desired. 
Sole leather is oiled but slightly and is 
dried and rolled smooth. The "chrome" 
process involves the use of a salt of 
chromium usually bichromate of potash, 
with muriatic acid. This process is very 
quick action, taking but a few hours 
for the tanning, the hides being pre- 
pared as for the bark tanning. Both 
goatskins and calfskins are tanned by 
the chrome process, making a strong, 
durable leather, with considerable water 
resisting power. Every detail of all 
processes involves care and experienced 
skill, and there is an infinite variety 
of finished products from the highest 
glove or fancy leather to the heaviest 
sole leather. Chrome tanned leathers 
are given a comparatively dry finish, 
although some oil, dissolved in acid, is 
used. 

Tawing. — Making leather by soaking 
hides in a solution of salt and alum, or 
by packing down with dry salt and pow- 
dered alum — essentially a tanning pro- 
cess. It is used to prepare skin rugs 
and furs. 

Velours. — French for "velvet". A trade 
name for a proprietary chrome tanned 
calf. The leather is of smooth and vel- 
vety finish and excellent quality. 

Vicl. — A proprietary trade name for a 
brand of chrome tanned kid, which has 
almost become a generic name, by com- 
mon use and sometimes not intentional 
misappropriation. 

Viscolizing. — A proprietary method of 
water-profing sole-leather, evidently by 
the use of some partly emulsified oils, 
with a water resisting tendency. The 
viscolized soles are used in hunting and 
sporting boots, the method softening the 
leather to some extent. 



Revised Shoe Glossary. 



Backstay. — A strip of leather covering 
and strengthening the back seam of a 
shoe; "English backstay." one that 
meets the quarters on each side and is 
sewed to them, forming the lower part 
of the back of the shoe; "California 
backstay," a term sometimes applied to 
piping caught in the back seam. 

Bal, (an abbreviation of the word "Bal- 



moral") — A front lace shoe, of medium 
height, men's, women's or children's, 
as distinguished from one that is ad- 
justed to the ankle by buttons, buckles, 
rubber goring, etc.. and from the 
"Blucher," "Polish," "Oxford," etc. 

Ball— of the foot; the fleshy part of the 
bottom, back of the toes. 



TirE DRYGOODSMAN'S HANDY DICTIONARY. 



Beading. — Folding in the edges of upper 
leather, instead of leaving them raw. 

Bellows Tongue. — A hoard tongue sewed 
to the sides of the top, as in waterproof 
and some working shoes. 

Blackball. — A mass of grease and lamp- 
black, formerly used by shoemakers on 
edges of heels and soles; sometimes 
called "cobbler's botch". 

Blucher. — A shoe or naif boot, originated 
by Field Marshal Blucher of the Prus- 
sian army, in the time of the first Na- 
poleon. It at once became very popu- 
lar, and has since received occasional 
favor, being used with high tops as a 
sporting or hunting boot. Its distin- 
guishing feature is the extension for- 
ward 01 the quarters, to lace across the 
tongue which may be an extension up- 
ward of the vamp. 

Boot. — The term is sometimes used (es- 
pecially abroad) to designate ladies' high 
cut shoes. Here it applies only to high 
topping footwear, usually made with 
the tops stiff and solid, sometimes laced, 
as in hunting boots. 

Bootee. — ^ boot with short top or leg, 
usually made with rubber goring over 
the ankle, sometimes with a lace front 
to imitate the appearance of a shoe in 
wearing. 

Boxing. — Stiffening material placed in the 
toe of a snoe to support it and retain 
the shape; leather, composition, zinc, 
wire net, drilling stiffened with shellac. 
etc., are used. 

Brogan. — A heavy pegged or nailed work 
shoe, medium cut in height. 

Cack. — An infant's shoe made with a sole 
leather bottom without a heel. 

Channel Stitched.— A method of fastening 
soles to the upper, either by the McKay 
or Welt process, in which a portion of 
the sole on the outer side is channeled 
into and the stitches afterwards cov- 
ered on the lower side by the lip of 
this channel. 

Cap. — Same as tip. 

Case — of shoes; so far as quantity is con- 
cerned, the contents of cases of differ- 
ent shoes vary. Men's boots and shoes 
usually come twelve pairs to the case; 
women's twenty-four to thirty-six pairs; 
children's as high as seventy-two pairs. 
Cases for foreign shipment are made 
much larger. Estimates of shipments 
are usually based on the number of 
cases, one reason for this being that it 



is much easier to tabulate the ship- 
ment from any point by collecting re- 
ports direct from the freight houses, 
where the handlers count the packages, 
with no means of knowing the precise 
contents. 

Channel Screwed. — A process by which 
the sole is fastened to the uppers in the 
following manner; After a channel is 
cut and laid over on the outside of the 
uutsole, the outer sole and inner sole 
are fastened together holding the up- 
per and lining between them by means 
of wire screws which are fastened in 
this channel. The skived • part is then 
smoothed down over the heads of the 
screws entirely covering them from 
sight and affording a means by which 
the screws are not easily worked up 
into the foot. 

Colonial. — A ladies' low shoe, with vamp 
extended into a flaring tongue, with a 
large, ornamental buckle across over in- 
step. The buckle and tongue as dis- 
tinctive features, whether the shoe fas- 
tens with lace or strap. 

Combination Last. — One with a different 
width instep than the ball. It may be 
one or two widths difference, such as 
the C ball with an A instep. Combin- 
ation lasts are as a rule used to tit ab- 
normally low insteps. 

Congress Gaiter. — A shoe with rubber 
goring in the side which adjusts it to 
the ankle, instead of laces, etc. 

Counter. — The piece of stiffening mate- 
rial that passes around the heel of the 
foot to support the outer leather and 
prevent the shoe from "running over" 
at the heel. It is made of sole-leather, 
shaved thin on the edge and shaped 
by machinery, in the best shoes. Is 
made of composition or paper, in cheap 
shoes, and metal is occasionally used, 
sometimes on the outside of the shoe in 
heavy goods for miners and furnace- 
men. 

Creedmore. — A heavy, men's lace shoe, 
with gusset, blucher cut. 

Creole. — A heavy congress work shoe; 
these and creedmores, brogans and 
"Dom Pedros" are usually made of oil 
grain, kip or split leather, sometimes 
pegged, sometimes "stitched down". 

Cushion Sole. — An elastic inner sole 
(proprietary). 

Dom Pedro. — A heavy, one-buckle shoe, 
with gusset or bellows tongue. Orig- 
inally a proprietary name, and shoes so 



76 



THE DRYGOODSMAN'S HANDY DICTIONARY. 



called were made of fine material, now 
usually in cheap grades. 

Eyelet. — A small ring of metal, etc., 
placed in the holes for lacing; the eye- 
let-holes are sometimes worked with 
thread like a button hole. 

Fair Stitch. — Stitching that shows around 
the outer edge of the sole, usually to 
give a McKay the appearance of a welt 
shoe. 

Form. — A term applied to a filler last. 
They may be of wood, papier mache. 
leather board or any material and are 
used to enhance the appearance of 
sample shoes, either in salesmen's lines 
or in retail window displays. 

Foxed. — Having the lower part of 
the quarter a separate piece of leather 
or covered by an extra piece; "slipper 
foxed", a term sometimes applied to 
ladies' full vamp shoes. 

Foxing. — That part of the upper that 
extends from the sole to the laces in 
front and to about the height of the 
counter in the back, being the length of 
the upper. It may be in one or more 
pieces and is often cut down to the 
shank in circular form. If in two pieces, 
that part covering the counter is called 
a heel fox. 

French Heel. — See heel. 

French Sizes. — See size. 

Gaiter. — Usually applied to a congress 
shoe, sometimes to separate ankle cov- 
ering. 

Goodyear Welt.— See welt. 

Heel. — Varieties: "Cuban heel", a high 
straight heel, without the curve of the 

"French or "Louis XV" heel, which is 
of extreme height, and is thrust for- 
ward under the foot with a curved out- 
line in back and "breast", or front sur- 
face; sometimes made of wood cov- 
ered with leather, with "top-lift" of 
thickness of sole leather, sometimes of 
all sole leather; "military" heel, a 
straight heel, not so h*igh as a Cuban; 

"spring" heel, a low heel formed by ex- 
tending back the outsole of the shoe to 
the heel, with a "slip" inserted between 
outsole and heel-seat; "wedge" heel, 
one somewhat similar to a spring heel, 
except with a wedge shaped lift tacked 
on the outside instead of a slip. 

Heel Pad. — In the manufacture of shoes 
is a small piece of felt, leather or other 
substance, fastened to and covering the 
full width of the insole at the point upon 
which the heel rests. A heel cushion 
is sometimes called a heel pad. 



Heel-Seat. — The rounded hollow of the 
heel of a shoe, formed by use of the 

"rand" and the curving of the counter. 

Inlay. — A trimming of the upper by an 
insertion of the same or different kind 
of material than that of the body of 
which it is inlaid. It is used for decor- 
ative purposes on a shoe. 

Insole. — The inner sole to which in "Mc- 
Kay" and "welt" shoes the upper and 
the outsole are sewed or nailed. 

Instep — The top of the arch of the foot. 

Iron. — A term indicating thickness of 
sole leather, as it is one thirty-second 
of an inch. 

Juliette. — A women's house slipper which 
is cut a little above the ankle in front 
and back and is cut down on the sides. 
They are usually fur trimmed. The 
same style in kid with goring in sides 
is called a "Juliette" by some manu- 
facturers. 

Lace-Stay. — The strip of leather re-in- 
forcing the eyelet holes. 

Lace Hook. — An eyelet extended into a 
recurved hook, around which the lace 
is looped. 

Last. — The wooden form over which the 
shoe is constructed, giving the shoe its 
distinctive shape. 

Lift. — One thickness of the sole leather 
used in making a heel; "top" lift, the 
bottom lift when the shoe is right 
side up. 

Lining. — Usually made of some form of 
drilling, and in the best shoes as care- 
fully cut and fitted as the upper. 

McKay Sewed 1 . — (Or simply "McKay") 
A shoe in which the outsole is attached 
to the insole and upper by a method 
named for the inventor. The upper is 
lasted over an inner sole, the last re- 
moved, and the outsole sewed on by a 
thread that goes through from the 
outside, catching upper and inner sole, 
and leaving the seam showing on the 
inside. Before sewing a channel is cut 
and laid over on the outside of the out- 
sole and afterward pasted back over 
the seam as in welts. 

Mock Welt. — McKay sewed shoe with a 
double sole and having a leather sock 
lining. It is fair stitched to imitate a 
welt. 

Mules. — Slippers with no counter or 
quarter. 

Nullifier. — A shoe with a high vamp and 
quarter, dropping low at the sides, 



THE DRYGOODSMAN'S HANDY DICTIONARY. 



made with a short rubber goring, for 
summer or house wear. 

Oxford. — A low cut shoe, no higher than 
the instep, lace, button, or goring, 
made in men's, women's and children's 
sizes. 

Pacs. — Coverings for the feet made of 
good quality calf-skin similar in form 
and appearance to the Indian moccasin. 
They do not have sole leather bottom. 
If properly made, they are waterproof. 
Used sometimes in plowing in soft 
ground. 

Pasted Counter. — A counter cut from two 
pieces of sole leather pasted together. 
Sometimes called two-piece counter. 

Pattern. — The models by which the 
pieces composing the upper of a shoe 
are cut. 

Polish. — A ladies' or misses' front lace 
shoe of higher cut than a "bal". 

Pump. — A low cut shoe originally having 
no fastening such as laces or buttons. 
Recent patterns, however, are being 
made with one eyelet on either side 
or straps. A pump is cut lower than 
the instep. 

Pump Sole. — An extra light single sole 
running clear through to the back of 
the heel, a Yankee trade term for single 
sole McKay. A pump sole in former 
years was distinguished by its flexibility 
and was hand-turned. The present day 
term, however, is applied to extra light 
weight soles; being lighter weight than 
the regular single sole and, are usually 
seen on men's heavy work shoes. 

Quarter. — The back portion of the upper 
of a shoe covering the counter and ex- 
tending forward, containing the lace 
eyelets. 

Rand. — A piece of leather at the top of 
a heel, extending around the heel un- 
der the sole, with the inner edge made 
thin, so as to torm with the curved 
counter a rounded inside for the heel of 
the wearer to rest in. 

Sabot (sah'bo). — A one-piece wooden 
shoe, carved from a single block of 
wood. Sometimes a heavy wooden 
soled shoe. 

Sandal. — A ladies' strap slipper; origin- 
ally applied to a sole fastened on the 
foot by thongs or straps, of ancient use. 
Heel -less soles with openwork uppers 
made for children, usually fastened 
with straps and buckles. 

Screw-Fastened. — Having the sole at- 



tached with screws, as In cheap or work- 
ing shoes. 

Shank — The middle portion of the bot- 
tom of a shoe, that comes under the 
arch of the foot; "shank steel", a 
curved piece of steel built Into the 

shank to support it. 

Slip. — Applied to spring heels or to soles; 
a thin piece of sole leather inserted 
above the outer sole. 

Slipper. — A light, low shoe for indoor 
wear; may be plain or ornamented to 
any degree. 

Sizes.— The smallest shoes, "infants'," run 
from 1 to 5; then "children's" in two 
series. 5 to 8, and 8% to 11; then they 
branch out into "youths' " and "miss- 
es' ", both running 11%, 12, 12%, 13, 13% 
and back again to 1, 1% and 2, in a new 
series of sizes that run up into "men's" 
and "women's"; "boys'" shoes run 
from 2% to 5%; "men's" from 6 to 11, 
in regular runs. Larger sizes are, of 
course, made, but only upon special 
orders. Some few manufacturers go to 
12, but not many. Women's sizes run 
from i.% to 9. Some makers do not go 
above 8's. The scale of sizes is some- 
times varied from by manufacturers of 
specialties. The "little gents'," usually 
from 10 to 13%, is an incidental run of 
sizes. Size No. 1, in infants', is (or 
was originally) four inches long; each 
added full size indicates an increase in 
length of one-third of an inch. A man's 
No. 8 shoe, therefore, would be about 
11 inches long. These measurements are 
not now absolute. They were originated 
in England. What is known as "French 
sizes" refers to a cypher system of 
marking to indicate these sizes as well 
as widths, so that the real size need 
not be known to the customer. Ameri- 
can ingenuity is too modest in giving 
this useful idea: a foreign label. An 
example of a Frencn size system, in 
actual use from the catalogue of a well 
known firm, is here given: 

Widths AA A B C D E EE 

Mark 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 

Sizes.. 1 1% 2 2% 3 3% 4 4% 5 

Mark. 20 20- 21 21- 22 22- 23 23- 24 

5% 6 6% 7 7% 

24- 25 25- 26 26- 

In using this system, instead of having 

widths markea A, B. etc., the number 

just below the letter in the above key 

is used. The same with sizes, so tnat, 

for instance, a No. 6 shoe, D width, 



7S 



THE DRYGOODSMAN'S HANDY DICTIONARY. 



would be marked simply "1325". The 
second figure, and the fourth, are the 
ones for the salesman to remember. The 
second figure, 3, is one less than the 
number of the size letter, D, which is 
the fourth letter; and the fourth figure 
in the mark, which is 5, is likewise one 
less than the correct number of the 
size of the shoe, 6. The mark "1325" 
would convey no information to the cus- 
tomer. 

Soft Tip. — A torm applied to a shoe on 
which no underlying boxing is used un- 
der the tip. 

Soles. — Varieties and modifications; a 
"full double" sole has two thicknesses 
of leather extending clear back to the 
heel; "half double" sole, a full outer 
sole with slip extending back to shank; 
"single" sole, is self-defining: "tap" is 
a half-sole. 

Stitch-Down. — A shoe in which the 
top is turned out instead of under, and 
stitched down through the sole. 

Stitched Aloft.— A term applied to a 
method of fastening shoes by the Good- 
year welt system by which the stitch- 
ing shows on the bottom side. 

Straight Last. — One that is neither right 
nor left and a shoe made over such a 
last can be worn on either foot. This 
term is sometimes applied to right and 
left shoes that have a barely perceptible 
outside swing. 

Swing. — A term applied to the curve of 
the outer edge of a sole. 

Tip. — An extra piece covering the toe, 
separate from the vamp; "stock tip," 
a tip of the same material as the vamp; 
"patent tip," a patent leather tip; "dia- 
mond tip," refers to the shape, extend- 
ing back to a point; "imitation tip," 
stitching across the vamp in imitation 
of a tip. 

Top Facing. — The strip ot leather or band 
of cloth around the top of the shoe on 
the Inside. It adds to the finish and 
beauty of the lining and is sometimes 
used for advertising the name of the 
manufacturer or retailer by having' a 
design of letters woven or sewed in or 
on it. 

Turned Shoe. — (.or "turn" shoe); a ladies' 
fine shoe, that is made wrong side out, 
then "turned" right side out, which op- 
eration necessitates the use of a thin, 



flexible sole of good quality. The sole 
is fastened to the last, the upper is 
lasted over it wrong side out, then the 
two are sewed together, the thread 
catching through a channel or shoulder 
cut in the edge of the sole. The seam 
does not come through to the bottom of 
the sole where it would chafe the foot 
on the inside. If you have a new cob- 
bler be sure that he understands the 
construction of a turn shoe before he 
tries to repair one. 

Upper. — A term applied collectively to 
the upper parts of a shoe. 

Vamp. — The front part of the upper of 
a shoe; "cut off" vamp, one that ex- 
tends only to the "tip", instead of be- 
ing continued to the toe and lasted un- 
der with the tip; "whole" vamp, one 
that extends to the heel, without a 
seam. The vamp is the most impor- 
tant piece of the upper, and should be 
cut from the strongest and clearest part 
of the skin. 

Vesting. — A material originally designed, 
as its name would indicate, for making 
fancy vests. As used in shoes, it is 
made with fancy figured weave, having 
a backing of stiff buckram or rubber 
treated tissue to strengthen it. 

Welt. — A narrow strip of leather that is 
sewed to the upper of a shoe, with an 
insole, leaving the edge of the welt ex- 
tending outward, so that the outsole 
can then be attached by sewing 
through both welt and outsole, around 
the outside of the shoe. The at- 
taching of the sole and upper thus 
involves two sewings; first the insole, 
welt and upper, then the outsole to the 
welt. The name is applied to the shoe 
itself when made in this way, as distin- 
guished from a "turned" or "McKay 
sewed" shoe. This was (and is) the 
method used by cobblers, in the pro- 
duction of hand sewed shoes, to fasten 
together the sole and upper; "Good- 
year welt," a welt shoe in which the 
sewing is done by machines, named for 
the inventor, the Elias Howe of the shoe 
world. There are very few hand-welted 
shoes made, although many are so des- 
ignated. 

Widths in Rubbers. — A complete lis; is; 
S, Mim; N, Narrow; M, Medium; F, 
Full; FF, Extra Full; W, Wide; WW. 
Extra Wide. (For width of shoes eee 
sizes.) 



... "? t9!2 



iiiiiiiiili ' 

018 447 181 4 • 



